During his opening speech of the 51e session of the Human Rights Council, the United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada Al-Nashif, denounced this morning “the intimidation, restrictive measures and sanctions against of the [Russes] expressing their opposition to the war in Ukraine”. According to her, these actions of the Kremlin “compromise the exercise of fundamental freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, in particular the rights to freedom of assembly, expression and association”. “The pressure exerted on journalists, the blocking of resources available on the Internet and other forms of censorship are incompatible with media pluralism and violate the right of access to information”she added.
She also called on Moscow to “reconsider the measures taken to extend the label of “foreign agent” to persons considered to be “under foreign influence”, and to criminalize undeclared contacts with representatives of states, foreign or international organizations considered to be directed against the “security” of the Russian Federation”.
The war in Ukraine will be discussed several times during the Council session, which meets for a month. The highest UN human rights body already launched in May a high-level investigation into violations committed by Russian troops in Ukraine. The investigators must be heard on September 23 by the Council. But there is growing pressure for the body to also look into human rights abuses in Russia and create a post of special rapporteur.
However, it is not certain that the Western countries will launch a draft resolution on this subject, because they fear not being able to build a majority, the texts having to be approved by a majority of the forty-seven member states of the Council. On this subject, Mr.me Al-Nashif, who holds the post of acting high commissioner pending the next arrival in Geneva of the Austrian Volker Türk named last week to succeed Michelle Bachelet, did not make a specific recommendation to the Council, leaving the diplomats decide how to proceed.