Russia calls at UNHRC session for investigation into human rights violations in Ukraine - Russian Foreign Ministry
MOSCOW. July 14 (Interfax) - The Russian delegation has said at the United Nations Human Rights Council's (UNHRC) session in Geneva that it was unacceptable to pursue 'double standards' when discussing the situation concerning human rights in Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
"The Russian delegation underscored the unacceptability of 'double standards' when addressing the situation with human rights in Ukraine and emphasized the need to conduct a thorough investigation into grave violations and crimes on the part of the Ukrainian military, including the daily use of torture, restrictions of freedom of speech and assembly, the persecution of the opposition and pressure on judges and lawyers," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a commentary published on its website on Wednesday following the 32nd session of the UNHRC.
The Russian side is also frustrated that "a large number of states and UN structures proved unable to step aside from the stereotyped models of conduct dictated by narrow-minded political considerations during the discussions on the Syrian issue," it said.
"It is necessary to admit that international terrorism poses the main threat to human rights in Syria. Terrorist groups commit the gravest crimes and crudely violate generally recognized norms in the sphere of human rights and humanitarian law," the ministry said in the commentary.
At the same time, the Russian Foreign Ministry said it was satisfied that "the UNHRC, acting at Russia's initiative, approved a draft resolution on negative consequences entailed by the arbitrary deprivation of citizenship for the observance of human rights without a vote."
"The international community's unanimous support and consolidated stance on this problem is a powerful signal about the unacceptability of trampling upon the rights of non-citizens in Latvia and Estonia," it said.
The UNHRC meeting was "characterized by a high level of confrontation and the reduction of opportunities for dialogue and cooperation," the Russian ministry said.
"This is the result of the U.S. and some other Western countries having chosen the politically motivated demonization of the 'differently-minded' as the main method of their work at the session and having demonstrated their absolute lack of readiness to look for coordinated solutions to the majority of disputable aspects of the human rights agenda," the ministry said.
The Russian Foreign Ministry also called on "all states to strictly follow the principle of equal, mutually respectful and constructive cooperation in international human rights work, primarily within the UNHRC."
"This is the only way how the council's influence and authority in international affairs can be restored," it said.