U.S. calls for Russia's suspension from UN Human Rights Council
The United States will ask the U.N. General Assembly to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said on Monday, after Ukraine accused Russian troops of killing dozens of civilians in the town of Bucha, Reuters reported.
A two-thirds majority vote by the 193-member assembly in New York can suspend a state for persistently committing gross and systematic violations of human rights.
"Russia's participation on the Human Rights Council is a farce," U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said on a visit to Romania.
"And it is wrong, which is why we believe it is time the UN General Assembly vote to remove them."
Ukraine said that it will use all "available UN mechanisms" to collect evidence on Russia's crimes in the country.
"No place for Russia on the UN Human Rights Council," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.
Thomas-Greenfield said she wants to have the vote this week.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24, the Assembly has adopted two resolutions denouncing Russia with 140 votes in favour. Moscow says it is carrying out a "special operation" to demilitarise Ukraine.
"My message to those 140 countries who have courageously stood together is: the images out of Bucha and devastation across Ukraine require us to now match our words with action," Thomas-Greenfield told reporters on a visit to Romania.
Bucha's deputy mayor said around 50 bodies found after Russian forces withdrew were the victims of extra-judicial killings by Russian troops.
Reuters was not able to independently verify who was responsible for killing those Bucha residents.
Ukrainian authorities said they were investigating possible war crimes there. The Kremlin denied accusations related to the murder of civilians in the town.
The General Assembly has previously suspended a country from the council. In March 2011, it unanimously suspended Libya because of violence against protesters by forces loyal to then leader Muammar Gaddafi.