Vershinin: The Human Rights Council has become a tool for some to defame legitimate governments

Moscow (ST):  Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin affirmed that the United Nations Human Rights Council has become a tool in the hands of some countries to discredit legitimate governments, stir up internal discontent against them and justify imposing unilateral coercive measures on them.

Vershinin said in an interview with the Russian news agency TASS today that “the forty-sixth session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, which concluded its work in Geneva, clearly showed that the Council has become a tool for a group of countries to implement its goals and opportunistic tasks.”

He pointed out that the dialogue on human rights has in fact turned into a monologue for one group of states that position themselves as the chosen and righteous. He said, “They use the discussions in the Human Rights Council only to discredit legitimate governments, blacken their reputation , delegitimize them, and justify the imposition of unilateral coercive measures on them,  violating international law with a focus on isolating some countries, stirring up internal discontent in them, and overthrowing their governments.

Vershinin pointed out that this year his country regained the status of a full-fledged member in the Council after its election in the Organization’s General Assembly by an absolute majority of the member states, but the hopes of the Russian side for constructive work with the partners in the Council have yet to be fulfilled.

K.Q.