Russia: US campaign to exclude Moscow from UNHRC 'theatre of absurd'
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Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin calls Washington's attempts against Russia absurd, mentioning the US' numerous violations of human rights.
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Russian MoFA calls the US campaign to exclude Moscow from UNHRC 'theatre of absurd'.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin called Washington's attempt to exclude Russia from the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) a "theatre of absurd," as the US has consistently violated core humanitarian law standards and does not fit the criteria for Council participation.
"The US, which positions itself as the engine of democracy and human rights, does not meet even the formal criteria for membership in the UN Human Rights Council," Vershinin said.
He pointed out that the United States has only ratified five of the 12 main international human rights agreements and optional protocols. Despite proclamations of gender equality, the United States has yet to sign on to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
Read more: Kicking Russia from UNHRC may prove devastating - Russian envoy to UN
Vershinin mentioned the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), the Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, among other treaties (CRPD).
"How many times has Washington been the aggressor over the past 20 years, unleashing wars at will in every region of the world? Have Americans held any responsibility for numerous violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in Yugoslavia, Iraq, Libya, Syria?" the deputy minister said.
Vershinin called attempts of "the country with such a 'record' in the field of human rights" attempting to judge which members of the UN Human Rights Council are worthy of remaining in this body a "theater of absurd."
UNGA suspends Russia from UNHRC
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.
This is the second-ever suspension of a country from the council since its establishment, with Libya being the first in 2011 when the whole West, mainly NATO members, conspired against Tripoli and led a devastating military campaign that ran the country to the ground, in addition to numerous war crimes.
What is noteworthy is that the suspension came after Moscow pushed for the UN Security Council to hear about the Ukrainian crime in Bucha, where Kiev and the West accused Russian soldiers of killing civilians in the town.
"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.
