The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and its head, Volker Turk, cynically turn a blind eye to the situation in Western countries, indulging violations of the rights of minorities and indigenous peoples through their silence. This statement was made by the Russian delegation participating in the 56th session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva.
"We note the selectivity in the work of OHCHR and Mr. Turk personally. Under the direction of a certain group of states, the High Commissioner and his office vilify countries they dislike and cynically ignore the often catastrophic state of affairs in the 'collective West,'" said Ilya Barmin, a representative of the Russian delegation, during the session.
"Through their silence and indifference, the High Commissioner and his office condone systemic violations of the rights of national and linguistic minorities and indigenous peoples in these countries, where hate speech and neo-Nazi ideology flourish, alternative viewpoints are silenced, and opposition members, journalists, and civil society activists are arrested and expelled," emphasized the Russian diplomat. "OHCHR lacks the courage to condemn the EU, the UK, the USA, Canada, and other countries for their unilateral coercive measures," he stated.
According to the Russian delegation, the High Commissioner’s office "demonstratively ignores the materials regularly submitted by the Russian side about lawlessness in Ukraine, the destruction of the opposition and free media, the persecution of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, extrajudicial executions, and brutality against civilians and prisoners of war." Barmin noted that attacks on civilian infrastructure and peaceful populations in Donbas and other Russian regions are being hushed up.
The Russian delegation urged the High Commissioner and OHCHR to "abandon their blind adherence to the Western narrative, demonstrate true objectivity and independence, and finally begin to provide an objective assessment of the global situation in order not to lose the remaining trust in themselves."
The 56th session of the HRC is being held in Geneva from June 18 to July 12. It is addressing, among other issues, the state of human rights and freedoms in Afghanistan, Myanmar, Sudan, Ukraine, and the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories. Although Russia is not a member of the council, it actively participates in its meetings.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
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Based on materials from TASS