News update: On 7 April 2022, the UN General Assembly voted to suspend Russia from its membership in the UN Human Rights Council based on UN General Assembly Resolution 60/251, which provides that all members of the Council “shall uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights.” GA Resolution 60/251 provides that “a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting, may suspend the rights of membership in the Council of a member of the Council that commits gross and systematic violations of human rights.”
On 21 March 2022, LRWC made an oral video statement to the UN Human Rights Council LRWC joint oral statement condemning Russia’s “flagrant violations of international law” in the unlawful invasion of Ukraine. The statement noted the numerous allegations that Russia’s leadership has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine,” as well as within Russia where authorities have arbitrarily detained thousands of peaceful anti-war demonstrators with numerous reports of torture and ill-treatment, and denial of detainees’ access to lawyers.
The statement also noted that in 2021, Russian authorities have judicially harassed lawyers, including Ivan Pavlov, have shut down human rights and legal aid organizations on spurious grounds, including Memorial. Authorities also physically attacked three lawyers while they were providing legal assistance to their clients.
LRWC’s statement was joined by the Law Society of England and Wales, the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute, and Lawyers for Lawyers, and called on the Human Rights Council to ensure that all its members uphold General Assembly Resolution 60/251, which requires all members of the Council “to uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights.” At the time of the joint statement, Russia was a member of the Council.
