New York: The United Nations General Assembly suspended Russia from the U.N. Human Rights Council following its invasion of Ukraine.
The U.S.-led push garnered 93 votes in favour, while 24 countries voted no and 58 countries abstained. A two-thirds majority of voting members – abstentions do not count – was needed to suspend Russia from the 47-member council.
Foreign secretary, Liz Truss, has called Russia “a global pariah”, after the vote to suspend the country from the UNHRC.
Suspensions are rare. Libya was suspended in 2011 because of violence against protesters by forces loyal to then-leader Muammar Gaddafi.
The US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said Russia had to be warned against continuing to act with “such impunity” and said it was “pretending” to respect human rights.
Ukraine has accused Russian troops of killing hundreds of civilians in Bucha, but Moscow has denied being to blame.
Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, said earlier this week that while Bucha was under Russian control, “not a single civilian suffered from any kind of violence”.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began on 24 February, the UN General Assembly has adopted two resolutions denouncing Moscow, with 141 and 140 votes in favour.
The resolution adopted by the 193-member General Assembly draft expresses “grave concern at the ongoing human rights and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine,” particularly at reports of rights abuses by Russia.
