Iranian Foreign Ministry condemns Russia's suspension from UNHRC

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Today, Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh denounced the UN General Assembly's decision to suspend Russia's membership in the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), arguing that the United States and other Western countries misused the UN mechanism.

The United Nations General Assembly voted Thursday on suspending Russia from the UN Human Rights Council as "punishment" for the war in Ukraine following a US-led initiative. 93 members of the assembly's 193 voted in favor of the suspension, 24 voted against, and 58 abstained.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry quoted Khatibzadeh as saying at a briefing that "this resolution was purely political and was intended to misuse the mechanisms of the UN to achieve the private goals of Western countries. We strongly recommend that human rights be exercised within its [the Council's] own framework. No one should allow such resolutions to put UNHRC membership in dependence on political considerations."

Khatibzadeh added that Iran believes human rights must not be sacrificed to political goals and condemned the western countries' abuse of UN mechanisms.

"Unfortunately, these mechanisms have been repeatedly abused by Western countries, particularly the US, in recent decades," he said.

The voting in question came following events that recently happened in the Ukrainian town of Bucha. A few days following the withdrawal of Russian forces from Bucha, the Ukrainian authorities released footage it claimed shows evidence of crimes committed by the Russian armed forces in Bucha, a town in Kiev, and the Russian Ministry of Defense said they were yet another provocation.

"All photos and video materials published by the Kiev regime allegedly testifying to some ‘crimes’ committed by Russian soldiers in the town of Bucha, Kiev region, is another provocation," Moscow's Defense Ministry said.

Read more: Kiev preparing provocation with chlorine in Kharkov region: Russian MoD

"Not a single local resident has suffered from any violent actions while the Russian armed forces controlled the settlement," it added.

The Ministry also clarified that all Russian units completely withdrew from the town in which the crimes allegedly took place as early as March 30, a day ahead of the talks between Moscow and Kiev in Turkey.

Russia also recalled the Mariupol maternity hospital incident, among others, saying the photos and video footage from Bucha were a production by Ukraine for the Western media.

Throughout the time the Russian armed forces had control of the town, its residents, Moscow said, could freely move around and use means of communication, and its exits were not blocked. "Residents could flee the settlement in the northern direction, including to Belarus, at any time," the Ministry explained.

The southern outskirts of the town, including residential areas, however, were shelled "round the clock" by the Ukrainian armed forces using large-caliber artillery, tanks, and multiple rocket launchers.