The UN Human Rights Council has appointed a commission by a large majority to investigate and document human rights violations by Russia in Ukraine. According to a resolution passed today in Geneva, this should also name those responsible so that they can be held accountable in court.
32 of the 47 member countries voted in favor, Russia and Eritrea voted once morest, 13 abstained. Germany had campaigned for the resolution and campaigned for approval worldwide. China, Cuba and Venezuela made it clear that they opposed the resolution, but then abstained.
KEYSTONE
Countries sit on the Human Rights Council for three years at a time. The election takes place in the UN General Assembly. They should watch over the observance of human rights all over the world. All permanent members of the UN Security Council, as well as Germany and Ukraine, are currently represented on the body.
The resolution states that the Human Rights Council “condemns in the strongest terms the violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law resulting from the aggression of the Russian Federation once morest Ukraine.” Russia is called upon to end hostilities immediately. The government in Belarus is called on not to support Russia’s actions in any way.
The Russian representative spoke of a waste of money. At the start of the urgent debate on Thursday, he said his country would not take any lessons from Western countries that have themselves intervened militarily in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. Moscow portrays the democratically elected government in Ukraine as illegitimate and extremist and a threat to Russia’s security.
