The Russian delegation attending the 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva described as biased and politicized the reports presented by the UN Independent Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights Violations in Syria. Speaking at the session on Thursday, a representative of the Russian delegation, Artur Chernyakov, said that they "completely distorted the picture of the events of the Syrian crisis."
"Our skepticism about the commission's activities is well known. Both of its reports are politicized and biased. The diplomat said that the picture of events in the Syrian crisis is completely distorted, adding that in its reports "the main destabilizing factor is for some reason not the terrorists' atrocities and their feeding from outside, but in fact the Syrian government's counterterrorism activities."
Chernyakov pointed out that the commission "again went beyond its mandate, commenting on the topics of the possible use of chemical weapons, as well as on the political process". Against this background, "the topic of foreign occupation of the territory of Syria, plundering of natural wealth, and illegal unilateral coercive measures" was practically not disclosed. The efforts of the country's authorities to overcome the crisis have also gone unnoticed. According to the diplomat, the commission "continues to work in line with the vicious practice of using the discourse on human rights to address the political agenda of a number of states interested in overthrowing the legitimate government of Syria".
The UN Human Rights Council, at its 46th session (February 22 to March 23), is discussing today's urgent human rights issues, including religious freedom, children's rights and the rights of people with disabilities. Topics of discussion include the situation in half a dozen countries, including Syria, Venezuela, and Ukraine. Russia is participating in the session after a three-year hiatus; it was elected to the Council in October 2020 for a three-year term beginning January 1, 2021.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Creative Commons
Based on materials from TASS