UN General Assembly suspends Russia from human rights council

The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday suspended Russia from the body’s Human Rights Council over reports of “gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights” in Ukraine.

Russia has come under heavy attacks from the international community led by the United States over the February 24 invasion of its Southern neighbour.

Russia was in its second year of a three-year term in the 47-member Geneva-based Council.

In the voting session which took place at the UN headquarters in New York, 93 nations led by the US voted for the removal of Russia from the Council while 24 countries voted no and 58 others abstained.

READ ALSO: US, EU, G-7, to announce more sanctions on Russia

Moscow had since announced its exit from the body.

In his address after the session, Russia’s Deputy Ambassador to the UN, Gennady Kuzmin described the move as an “illegitimate and politically motivated step.”

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