Concerned about “serious and systematic human rights violations and abuses” in Ukraine, the United Nations Assembly voted on Thursday suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council of that international organization. Argentina, chairing the Geneva-based Council this year, vote in favor.

Most of 93 countries supported the suspension of membership of Russia, alerted by the massacres in the city of Bucha and the atrocities reported there after the departure of Russian troops from the area, speaking about hanging, torturing, raping, crushing civilians using tanks and other horrors that Vladimir Putin’s government allegedly did not do.

The Council is the most important intergovernmental body dedicated to ensuring the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms in the world.

Although it was passed without hindrance, the resolution there was less endorsement than 140 reached in a condemnation of the aggression in Ukraine, days ago. This Thursday, 24 countries voted against, including Russia, Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia, China, Belarus, North Korea, Nicaragua and Iran. AT 55 abstainedincluding Brazil, Mexico, Pakistan, Iraq and El Salvador.

Libya, the background

The Assembly requires a majority of two-thirds of its 193 members to suspend Russia, which has now become the second country to be removed from the Council since then Libya was abolished in 2011 amid intense allegations of violence in protests against Muammar Gaddafi.

As the basis for the suspension, the resolution featured “concerns about serious and systematic violations and abuses of human rights” and “violations of international humanitarian law” committed by the Russian Federation in its aggression against Ukraine. And it also refers to the concerns expressed by a recent human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine.

Argentina

Argentina, which this year is chairing the Council under the leadership of the Ambassador Federico Villegas Beltranvoted in favor, reaffirming the government’s turn on this issue because at the beginning of the conflict it avoided condemning Russia’s aggression.

The president met with Putin in Moscow shortly before the invasion of Ukraine and offered him to be “the gateway” to Latin Americasome bad words in Washington, in the midst of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.

Gradually, Argentina’s position changes and continued to condemn the aggression on various forums, corresponding to most countries in the world, though do not participate in the penalties economy of powers.

As expected Clarionthe decision for Argentina’s vote on Thursday was made on Wednesday, after a meeting between Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero and President Fernández, and this morning it was adopted at a press conference by spokeswoman Gabriela Cerruti.

“The Argentine government has a tradition of denying human rights violations in all countries at any time, regardless of political sign ”, he said.

Although on paper the resolution is supported by Costa Rica, Guatemala, Myanmar, San Marino and Tonga, it is known that The United States is the main advocate of this measure after the Bucha massacre. President Joe Biden called Putin a “war criminal” and so did the State Department.

US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas Greenfield said before the vote: “We have worked hard since the war began to form a coalition of countries to condemn Russia. We had 141 votes the first time we went to the General Assembly, the second time we had 140. And we have no doubt that we will defeat Russia in the Human Rights Council”.

Some of the countries that voted against have already argued human rights they are politicizing. Belarus said so demonized in Moscow.

Others who abstained, such as Mexico and Brazil, they said they had already condemned the aggression and that it was necessary to investigate the facts denounced in Bucha to determine Russia’s guilt. They also said the suspension could damage multilateralism and the ability to negotiate with Russia to end the war. Mexico and Argentina used to vote unanimously, but this time not anymore.

Russia has been repeatedly denied committed war crimes and the images of atrocities are a media montage of the Ukrainian authorities. However, independent journalists in the area who interviewed the survivors saw the horrific and satellite images also showed that there were corpses in the streets while Russian troops were in Bucha.

In his turn, the Russian ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, said that “The resolution is considered as an illegitimate and political step to punish a sovereign UN member state that pursues a sovereign foreign policy ”and announced that they made the decision to suspend membership, i.e., they withdrew before the end of their mandate.

He denounced that “the Council is the monopoly of a small state that uses it for their own purposes” and “those who say they are the example in terms of human rights. they participated in major human rights violations and endorsed them. Even though they are members of the Council, they are not willing to sacrifice their political interests ”.

Washington, correspondent

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