Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

UN votes to suspend Russia from its Human Rights Council despite opposition

UN votes to suspend Russia from its Human Rights Council despite opposition

Less than half of the member countries voted in favor of the motion. The session marks the third UN General Assembly vote on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The UN General Assembly voted to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council on Thursday, the latest in a series of resolutions denouncing the Ukraine invasion.

The move comes after Ukraine and its partners accused Russia of committing war crimes in Ukraine.

"We need to take action today to save the council from sinking," Ukraine's UN Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya said before the vote.

Of the 193 members in the assembly, 93 voted in favor and 24 voted against. Some 58 members abstained, giving the vote the two-thirds majority needed to pass.

In comparison to previous votes condemning Russia's invasion, a greater number of Russia-friendly countries such as China voted against the proposal rather than simply abstaining.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba thanked the members who voted in favor of removing Russia from the council in a message on Twitter. "War criminals have no place in UN bodies aimed at protecting human rights," he wrote.


Russia had been serving a three-year term on the 47-member council — the body charged with protecting human rights.

You can watch the session live here.


Mass killings in Ukraine


Video and photographic material from Bucha, as well as other previously occupied towns near the capital Kyiv, show scores of dead civilians. Ukrainian authorities have said they found more than 300 bodies, of which 50 appeared to have been executed.

Russia has denied the accusations and said that the images were staged. Most Western countries have rejected this claim.

Ukraine had previously accused Russia of targeting civilians and residential buildings with its shelling and airstrikes. A strike that hit a children's hospital and maternity ward drew international condemnation.

Russia is only the second country to have its membership in the Human Rights Council revoked, following Libya in 2011. At the time, longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi was facing off against popular upheavals.

Veiled threats from Moscow


Russia issued a warning on Wednesday ahead of the session, saying that countries that vote in line with the US would face consequences.

A letter seen by Reuters also threatened countries that abstained or refused to participate in the vote, saying that this would serve Washington's aims.

The campaign to suspend Russia was launched by US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

The previous votes by the UN General Assembly saw many countries abstain. These included usually friendly countries such as China and India who have refused to criticize the invasion.

This led to two overwhelming votes to condemn Russia's actions in Ukraine.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
×