GENEVA, March 4 (Reuters) – The U.N. Human Rights Council on Friday condemned alleged rights violations by Russia in its invasion of Ukraine and agreed to set up a commission to investigate them, including possible war crimes.
Thirty-two members of the council voted in favour of the resolution brought by Ukraine. Russia and Eritrea voted against it, while 13, including China, abstained.
“Those from Russia directing and committing violations against my people should be paying attention. The evidence is going to be collected; you are going to be identified, and you are going to be held to account,” Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Yevheniia Filipenko, flanked by Western ambassadors, told reporters after the vote.
GENEVA, March 4 (Reuters) – The U.N. Human Rights Council on Friday condemned alleged rights violations by Russia in its invasion of Ukraine and agreed to set up a commission to investigate them, including possible war crimes.
Thirty-two members of the council voted in favour of the resolution brought by Ukraine. Russia and Eritrea voted against it, while 13, including China, abstained.
“Those from Russia directing and committing violations against my people should be paying attention. The evidence is going to be collected; you are going to be identified, and you are going to be held to account,” Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Yevheniia Filipenko, flanked by Western ambassadors, told reporters after the vote.
Russia, which has called its actions since Feb. 24 a “special operation”, has denied targeting civilians in Ukraine.
Its delegate, Evgeny Ustinov, told the council that the resolution’s backers “will use any means to blame Russia for the events in Ukraine”.
Washington, which just rejoined the body as a voting member after quitting under former President Donald Trump, called the outcome “a powerful condemnation of Russia’s actions”.