Ukraine tells UN rights council Russia inflicting 'pure evil'
Published: 04:05 PM,May 12,2022 | EDITED : 08:05 PM,May 12,2022
A general view of the Room XX hosting a special session of the UN Human Rights Council on Ukraine, in Geneva on Thursday. - AFP
GENEVA: Kyiv condemned the 'sheer horror' and 'pure evil' of Russia's war in Ukraine at an extraordinary meeting on Thursday of the United Nations Human Rights Council about Moscow's alleged violations.
Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova said Russia was committing 'the most gruesome human rights violations on the European continent in decades', as countries slammed the conduct of President Vladimir Putin's troops.
Also on Thursday, three people were killed and 12 others wounded in the early hours in a Russian strike on a school in Ukraine's northern Chernigiv region, the emergency services said.
'We have three people killed and 12 wounded as a result of a strike' in Novgorod-Siversky, a spokesman said.
The UN's top rights body will vote on a draft resolution calling for an investigation into alleged violations since Russia's February 24 war on Ukraine, with a view to holding those responsible to account.
More than 50 countries backed Kyiv's request for a special session of the UN's top rights body to examine 'the deteriorating human rights situation in Ukraine stemming from the Russian aggression'.
Russia snubbed the session.
'These have been 10 weeks of sheer horror to the people of my country,' Dzhaparova said, speaking from Kyiv.
'Torture and enforced disappearances, sexual and gender-based violence; the list of Russia's crimes is endless.
'Only the world standing strong in solidarity with the Ukrainian people can defeat this pure evil.'
RUSSIA'S CHAIR EMPTY
Russia was among the 47 council members until the UN General Assembly in New York voted on April 7 to suspend it from the body and from sitting in judgement of other nations' human rights records.
Russia then immediately withdrew from the council.
It was the first meeting of the body since then to address the situation in Ukraine.
Now an ordinary observer, Russia was offered the floor but its chair was left vacant.
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday that Moscow 'will not legitimise with its presence this new political show'.
UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet told the council that her office was verifying allegations of international human rights and humanitarian law violations, 'many of which may amount to war crimes'.
'The scale of unlawful killings, including indicia of summary executions in areas to the north of Kyiv, is shocking,' she said.
'While we have information about 300 such killings, the figures will continue to increase as new evidence becomes available. These killings of civilians often appeared to be intentional.'
US ambassador Michele Taylor said that Russia's frustrations at being unable to defeat Ukraine militarily had led to 'ever-more-egregious human rights abuses'.
She said Putin had shown an 'utter disregard for human rights and human life' and urged the council's scrutiny to expose Russia's 'continued attempts to hide atrocities'. - AFP
Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova said Russia was committing 'the most gruesome human rights violations on the European continent in decades', as countries slammed the conduct of President Vladimir Putin's troops.
Also on Thursday, three people were killed and 12 others wounded in the early hours in a Russian strike on a school in Ukraine's northern Chernigiv region, the emergency services said.
'We have three people killed and 12 wounded as a result of a strike' in Novgorod-Siversky, a spokesman said.
The UN's top rights body will vote on a draft resolution calling for an investigation into alleged violations since Russia's February 24 war on Ukraine, with a view to holding those responsible to account.
More than 50 countries backed Kyiv's request for a special session of the UN's top rights body to examine 'the deteriorating human rights situation in Ukraine stemming from the Russian aggression'.
Russia snubbed the session.
'These have been 10 weeks of sheer horror to the people of my country,' Dzhaparova said, speaking from Kyiv.
'Torture and enforced disappearances, sexual and gender-based violence; the list of Russia's crimes is endless.
'Only the world standing strong in solidarity with the Ukrainian people can defeat this pure evil.'
RUSSIA'S CHAIR EMPTY
Russia was among the 47 council members until the UN General Assembly in New York voted on April 7 to suspend it from the body and from sitting in judgement of other nations' human rights records.
Russia then immediately withdrew from the council.
It was the first meeting of the body since then to address the situation in Ukraine.
Now an ordinary observer, Russia was offered the floor but its chair was left vacant.
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday that Moscow 'will not legitimise with its presence this new political show'.
UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet told the council that her office was verifying allegations of international human rights and humanitarian law violations, 'many of which may amount to war crimes'.
'The scale of unlawful killings, including indicia of summary executions in areas to the north of Kyiv, is shocking,' she said.
'While we have information about 300 such killings, the figures will continue to increase as new evidence becomes available. These killings of civilians often appeared to be intentional.'
US ambassador Michele Taylor said that Russia's frustrations at being unable to defeat Ukraine militarily had led to 'ever-more-egregious human rights abuses'.
She said Putin had shown an 'utter disregard for human rights and human life' and urged the council's scrutiny to expose Russia's 'continued attempts to hide atrocities'. - AFP