During a speech of Russian Minister of the Armed Forces Sergei Lavrov at the UN Human Rights Council more than a hundred participants – diplomats from about forty countries – demonstratively left the hall to protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
This was reported by the Russian service of «the Voice of America».
Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the Council Yevhenia Filipenko called this collective action «a wonderful demonstration of support for Ukrainians in the struggle for their independence. »
Among those who left the hall were representatives of the United States, the European Union, Great Britain and Canada.
Only a few people listened to the speech of the head of Russian diplomacy, including diplomats from Syria, Venezuela and China, as well as Russian Ambassador to the UN in Geneva Gennady Gatilov, former deputy of Sergei Lavrov.
Comment: «This aggressive Russian war will have profound consequences for the human rights situation in Ukraine and Russia, and Russia’s leaders will be brought to justice, » said Michelle Taylor, the US envoy to the Human Rights Council.
Source: Radio Svoboda