Any move to re-admit Vladimir Putin’s Russia into the United Nationals Human Rights Council would represent a “nail in the coffin” for the organistion’s reputation, a UK-based lawyer and campaigner has warned on the day of a key vote on the issue.
Russia faces a tough fight to regain its seat in today’s election in the General Assembly, which voted last year to suspend Moscow after its invasion of Ukraine.
But Wayne Jordash QC, managing partner of Global Rights Compliance, sent a clear message to any nations considering backing Putin’s bid.
He told Express.co.uk: “Only 18 months ago, Russia was suspended from the UNHRC for egregious violations of the UN Charter and a myriad of violations of international humanitarian law during its illegal and unprovoked attack on Ukraine.
“It was an act of principle and unambiguously right – the UN’s reputation was at stake.
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“Instead of acting to remedy its lawlessness, Russia not only doubled down but quadrupled down, continuing its war of choice, conducting a widespread and systematic campaign of war crimes, crimes against humanity and even genocide as well as engaging in a campaign of propaganda, lies and worse to conceal their attacks on innocent men, women and children.”
Mr Jordash added: “To readmit them to the UNHRC would reward this behaviour and send a clear message that might is right, international justice does not matter and the UN stands for little but expedience.”
Absolutely nothing had happened since the original suspension in April 2022 to justify permitting Russia to rejoin, Mr Jordash stressed.
He said: “On the contrary, Russia continues to engage in the worst crimes known to international law and Putin continues to thumb his nose at the ICJ’s decisions to cease and desist, the UN’s own Independent Commission of Enquiry (that has found evidence of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocidal rhetoric), UN Resolution’s (calling for Russia to leave Ukraine) and the ICC’s own arrest warrants for Putin and his so-called Commissioner for Child Rights for abducting Ukrainian children.
“To reward this failure to even pretend to respect the international community’s rulings will be another nail in the coffin of the post World War II security apparatus and order designed to keep us all safe.’
Referring in particular to last week’s Russian airstrike on a funeral in Kharkiv, which killed at least 52 people, Mr Jordash said: “The evidence of Russia’s crimes (war crimes, crimes against humanity and possibly genocide) grows every day.
“The nature and scope of the crimes show that they are widespread and systematic and occur due to a state policy.”
Putin was directly responsible, Mr Jordash emphasised, and as such should eventually go on trial.
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He explained: “No one doubts the role that Putin plays in designing that state policy and he does not try to hide his control over the Russian military and their campaign.”
“That is the starting point for understanding his individual criminal liability. He may not order all the crimes, but he appears to be responsible for their design and perpetration.
“In other words, it is highly likely that he can be charged for most of the crimes and in due course be tried for them. As for now, it is difficult to see what his defence to those future charges could be.’
The 193-member assembly will be electing 15 members to the Geneva-based Human Rights Council, with candidates put forward by the UN’s five regional groups.
Russia is competing against Albania and Bulgaria for two seats allotted to the East European regional group, and Moscow’s UN ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, accused the United States on Monday of leading a campaign to prevent their return to the council.
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He said: “The main phobia of our American colleagues today is electing Russia to the Human Rights Council.”
The United States and others have sent letters to many of the 193 members of the General Assembly urging a vote against Russia, according to diplomats. Felice Gaer, director of the American Jewish Committee’s Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights, was among the non-government letter-writers also urging Russia’s defeat.
Albania’s UN Ambassador Ferit Hoxha also urged those who care about human rights and “the credibility of the Human Rights Council and its work” to oppose a country that kills innocent people, destroys civilian infrastructure, ports and grain silos “and then takes pride in doing so.”
U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood told the Security Council that Russia’s re-election to the Human Rights Council “while it openly continues to commit war crimes and other atrocities would be an ugly stain that would undermine the credibility of the institution and the United Nations.”
In April 2022, less than two months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the General Assembly voted 93-24 with 58 abstentions on a US-initiated resolution to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council over allegations that its soldiers in Ukraine engaged in rights violations that the US and Ukraine called war crimes.
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