• Tuesday, 24 December 2024

UN human rights chief demands end to Russian war on Ukraine

UN human rights chief demands end to Russian war on Ukraine

Geneva, 31 March 2023 (dpa/MIA) - Russia must end its war on Ukraine, says the UN's top commissioner on human rights, Volker Türk.

"The Russian Federation's invasion of Ukraine has thrown us back to an archaic era. An era when a neighbouring country's territory could be attacked and taken, at will, as one's own. When the identity and history of communities could be denied, and reality rewritten," he told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

"At a time when humanity faces overwhelming existential challenges, this destructive war is tugging us away from the work of building solutions - the work of ensuring our survival," Türk said.

"This war defies any reason. This madness must end, and peace be found, in line with the UN and international law."

He also referred to a report by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, which documented deaths, crimes and destruction from the war.