Almost 40 human rights organizations from different countries called on the General Assembly to exclude Russia from the UN Human Rights Council.
An open statement about that was signed, in particular, by the Zmina Human Rights Centre.
After the full-scale russian invasion of Ukraine broke out the U.S. and Great Britain have called for the russian federation [RF] exclusion.
On April 5, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield stated that the RF "should not have a position of authority in a body whose very purpose is to promote respect for human rights". She also mentioned that the russian membership didn't only manifest the height of hypocrisy but was dangerous as well because the country used the Council as a platform for its false propaganda.
"Another lie [about the actions of the russian occupiers, particularly in the Kyiv region] we hear from the russian representative is just more evidence that they do not belong on the Human Rights Council," – she said.
Human rights defenders that signed the address to the UN General Assembly, emphasize that russia's actions in Ukraine are a part of the sweeping and ongoing struggle the russian authorities are waging against human rights and human rights activists, and the russian influence on the whole region is thwarting the democratic transformations.
This influence of russia is enabled, in particular, by the actions of the russian orthodox church of the Moscow patriarchate and far-right radical groups.
"In Russia, human rights defenders and organizations campaigning for free and fair elections, women's rights, and the rights of religious, ethnic, sexual, and gender minorities, as well as those fighting corruption and environmental deterioration, face the greatest threat from the authorities. Indeed, it has never been more difficult and dangerous for human rights defenders and organizations to operate in the RF," – the human rights activists stressed.
The voting on russia exclusion from the UN Human Rights Council can take place this very week. It has to gain the support of two-thirds of the 193 General Assembly members.
The last country excluded from the Council was Libya – in February 2011. That was decided because of the violence against the protesters from the forces loyal to then the leader of the country Muammar Gaddafi. Gaddafi was killed in October 2011.
UN Human Rights Council is an international body in the structure of the UN. It was created in 2006 based on the Human Rights Commission that had been operating since 1946.
Russia was excluded from the Council of Europe. Exiting this organization leads to denouncing the European convention on human rights.