New Delhi: The United Nations General Assembly suspended Russia from the Human Rights Council during a meeting on Thursday.
The 193-member General Assembly voted Thursday on the draft resolution titled ‘Suspension of the rights of membership of the Russian Federation in the Human Rights Council’.
Ninety-four members voted in favour while 24 voted against, and 58 abstained.
India also abstained in the UNGA vote moved by the United States to suspend Russia over allegations that the country’s soldiers tortured and killed civilians while retreating from Ukrainian towns.
CNN saw the draft of the resolution on whether Russia should be suspended from the Geneva-based Human Rights Council. The UNGA said it may “suspend the rights of membership in the Human Rights Council of a member of the Council that commits gross and systematic violations of human rights.”
CNN quotes the draft as saying the Council had “grave concern” regarding reports of “gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights” and “violations of international humanitarian law” committed by the Russian Federation during its aggression against Ukraine.
Before the vote, Russia called upon UN members to reject the resolution as it would set “a dangerous precedent”.
Deputy Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Gennady Kuzmin said there was no “time or place for theatrics”.
He said: “The draft resolution we are considering today has no relationship to the actual human rights situation on the ground.”
He also accused America of trying to be in a dominant position and assume “total control to continue its attempt at human rights colonialism in international relations”.
Also read: India abstains in UN General Assembly on vote to suspend Russia from UN Human Rights Council