WASHINGTON, April 8 — The UN General Assembly voted Thursday to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council (HRC) after evidence emerged of apparent mass atrocities carried out by Moscow’s forces.
The 93-24 vote saw 58 members states abstain.
A member can be removed from the HRC following a two-thirds vote from the assembly if a state has engaged in a pattern of gross and systemic abuses.
Abstentions did not count toward the total in the 193-member chamber.
Anadolu Agency reported that Ukraine’s UN envoy made an emotional appeal before the vote for Russia’s removal, saying the “rare and extra-ordinary action” was undoubtedly warranted because Russia’s actions in Ukraine “are beyond the pale.”
“Russia is not only committing human rights violations, it is shaking the underpinnings of international peace and security,” said Sergiy Kyslytsya.
“All you need to do is to press the yes button to save the Human Rights Council, and many lives around the world and in Ukraine. On the other hand, pressing no means pulling a trigger,” he charged.
“This image of the red-blooded dots on the screen will stay with you and all of us as long as memory does not fail us.”
He was referring to the visual tally of votes displayed in the assembly hall.
‘No’ votes are displayed in red.
Anadolu Agency also reported UN said on Thursday that at least 1,611 civilians have lost their lives in Ukraine while 2,227 have been injured since Russia began its “special military operation” in the neighbouring country on February 24.
“Most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems, and missile and air strikes,” the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said in its daily update.
It added that the actual figures are considerably higher, as the receipt of information from some locations where intense hostilities have been going on has been delayed and many reports are still pending corroboration.
The UN refugee agency also estimates that more than 4.3 million have fled Ukraine.
Neighbouring Poland has taken in more than 2.5 million people from Ukraine, while nearly 663,000 have gone to Romania, more than 404,000 to Hungary, over 401,000 to Moldova, and around 305,000 to Slovakia, it reported.
According to the International Organisation for Migration, over 7.1 million people have also been internally displaced since the war began.
— Bernama
