- UN body targets P5 member for first time
- Follows the closure of human rights groups in Russia
- Vote follows major West defeat by China
GENEVA, Oct 7 (Portal) – A UN human rights body on Friday easily passed a motion to appoint a new independent expert on alleged human rights abuses in Russia, accusing Moscow of creating a “climate of fear” through repression and violence.
The Russian government quickly made it clear that it would not cooperate with the expert.
Members voted 17 in favor, 6 against, with 24 abstentions. The move is the first time the 16-year-old Human Rights Council (HRC) has appointed a special rapporteur to examine the human rights record of one of its so-called “P5” members, who hold permanent seats on the Security Council.
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“Today we want to make it clear that we have not forgotten those who are fighting for freedom at home while (Russian President Vladimir) Putin oppresses the Russian people and engages in aggression abroad,” said the British Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva , Simon Manley , told Portal right after the vote.
Almost 50 countries have applied, including the UK, all European Union countries except Hungary, and the United States, Ukraine, Japan and Colombia. China was one of the opponents.
The move follows tougher Russian laws this year to punish people, Moscow says, for discrediting the armed forces or spreading fake information, and the forced shutdown of human rights groups, including Memorial, which won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday.
In Moscow, the Foreign Ministry said it firmly rejected the resolution on the grounds that it contained false allegations, the TASS news agency said.
“Russia … will ignore the special mechanism set up by the HRC and refuse to cooperate with it,” Tass quoted the ministry as saying.
Tatiana Glushkova, a lawyer with the Memorial Human Rights Centre, told Portal that she was pleased with the outcome but expected the special rapporteur to face difficulties in accessing it. “We don’t even dream that they will be invited to Russia,” she said.
Moscow has previously called criticism of its domestic rights record unfounded and denied targeting civilians in Ukraine, where it says it is conducting a “military special operation” to destroy military infrastructure.
The 47-member council is deeply divided, and a growing chorus of countries, led by Russia and China, oppose action against specific countries in what they say amounts to political interference.
Friday’s victory comes as a relief to Western countries after Thursday’s historic defeat of a Chinese bid.
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Reporting by Emma Farge and David Ljunggren, editing by Miranda Murray, William Maclean and Jonathan Oatis
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