Suspended From UN Human Rights Council: Russia Still Gives Evidence Of Bucha Tragedy, Can Apply For Membership After 2023

The results of the UN General Assembly's vote on Russia's suspension from the Human Rights Council. (UN Photo/Manuel Elias)

JAKARTA - Russia will continue to provide evidence about the tragedy that occurred in Bucha, Ukraine even if they are not listened to, convinced that Bucha is not the last provocation to be faced.

The Bucha tragedy, which drew strong international criticism, was one of the reasons for Russia's suspension from the UN Human Rights Council, after a vote was carried out by the UN General Assembly last Thursday.

"All this evidence that we provide, is not listened to. Of course we will continue this, and again many countries are telling us on the sidelines that they understand well our arguments," First Deputy Permanent Representative of the United Nations Dmitry Polyansky told the channel TV Rossiya-24, as quoted by TASS, April 8.

"They also had doubts about what was going on, but we regretfully believe that Bucha is not the last provocation we will have to face," the diplomat stressed.

"Of course, Western countries don't like our independence, they don't like us pursuing an independent foreign policy. That we don't follow in their footsteps like some other countries, which also claim to be a global power," he said.

"They don't like to see that the multilateral international system is objectively established, whether they want it or not, that the dominance of the United States ends. It's an objective process, it's going to continue regardless of what they're going to do," Polansky said.

The UN General Assembly passed a resolution to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council during a special session Thursday. A total of 93 votes in favor of the resolution, 24 against, while 58 delegates abstained.

For the decision to be passed, two-thirds of the vote is required, and the votes of those who abstain are not counted, bringing the total number of votes counted to 117; 93 is more than two-thirds of that number, which allowed the resolution to be passed.

Russian representatives said earlier they saw such moves as politically motivated, adding it threatened to destroy the entire UN system. Meanwhile, the suspension will only affect its current membership, which for Russia will end in 2023. After that, Russia can once again apply for membership in the Human Rights Council.

To note, the member states of the Human Rights Council voted on resolutions in the field of human rights. No member has veto power. After the suspension, a country's voting rights are revoked, but it can still attend meetings.