The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights approves an investigation into Russia’s alleged violations in Ukraine

March 4, 2022

GENVA (Reuters) – The UN Human Rights Council voted overwhelmingly on Friday in a resolution condemning alleged violations while condemning Russia’s military operations in Ukraine and setting up a commission of inquiry to investigate them.

“It is our common duty to ensure accountability by ordering documents and verification of Russia’s crimes and identifying those responsible,” Ukraine’s UN envoy to Geneva, Yevheniia Filipenko, told the council just before the vote.

Russia has refused to target civilians in Ukraine, and its representative Evgeny Ustinov told the council that supporters of the resolution “will use all means to blame Russia for the events in Ukraine.

(Emma Farge reports; Editing by Mark Heinrich)