Serbia, one of the 92 nations that voted in favour of the resolution suspending Russia’s membership in the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), has now revealed that it voted under the prospect of “escalating sanctions and pressures.”
This came after the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) suspended Russia from the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) following claims of heinous human rights violations in Ukraine. Serbia was one of 92 countries that voted in favour of the resolution, while 24 countries voted against it and 53 countries, including India, abstained from voting.
Serbian President Alexander Vucic acknowledged the same in an interview with Radio Television of Serbia, the country’s main station, and claimed that his country voted to suspend Russia’s participation in the Council due to the threat of sanctions and mounting Western pressure. “People were perplexed as to why we didn’t vote no or abstain from voting. However, if we abstain, other countries will turn against us, increasing the pressure “, he explained.
In addition, he stated that a critical decision was being taken in the meanwhile regarding Serbia’s fate, specifically whether it would be exempted from the European Union’s package of oil sanctions. One of the Russian-owned enterprises, Gazprom Neft, which is the biggest shareholder in Serbia’s Petroleum Industry, is currently subject to European Union sanctions.
The United Nations General Assembly has suspended Russia from the UN Human Rights Council.
In a historic event, the United Nations General Assembly suspended Russia’s membership in the United Nations Human Rights Council on Thursday, citing claims of human rights breaches in Ukraine and the subsequent occurrence of a “mass genocide.” During this time, 92 countries voted in favour of the resolution, 24 countries voted against it, and 53 countries abstained from voting.
The US took the initiative after shocking photographs of bodies scattered over the streets of Bucha, Ukraine, and other places surfaced in recent days, prompting Washington to call Moscow’s participation in the top human rights organisation a “farce.” The US representative to the UN has already filed a petition seeking Russia’s expulsion from the UN Human Rights Council.
It’s worth noting that the decision came on the same day that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy slammed the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for failing to take strong measures against Russia by isolating them and instead using the word ‘concerned’ for over eight years in an exclusive interview with Republic TV’s Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami.
