UN Russia Bashing
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)
A shameful UN High Commissioner for Human Rights report on Russia’s Crimean republic and Sevastopol reads like it was written by Washington’s intelligence establishment – an exercise in disinformation.
Self-determination is a universal right – recognized by the UN Charter and other international law, not apparently by its human rights high commissioner (OHCHR), falsely calling Crimea and Sevastopol “territory temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation.”
The report covers the period February 22, 2014 – September 12, 2017. It was prepared without access to Crimea, relying on Ukrainian and other anti-Russia sources for information.
Without credible evidence, OHCHR spuriously claimed “(w)ith support (from) Russian…troops,” (Crimean defenders were) accused of committing numerous human rights abuses with impunity since the end of February 2014.”
Abuses were committed by Kiev, not Crimeans, including cutting off their water, infiltrating the peninsula to commit sabotage, blockading it, kidnapping its residents, and other abusive practices.
Crimeans voted overwhelmingly to return to Russia, wanting a historic mistake corrected. Putin obliged them. The OHCHR lied claiming “uniformed men without insignia took control of the Parliament of Crimea,” implying Russian forces acted illegally, downplaying the referendum, judged open, free and fair by independent monitors.
The OHCHR falsely claimed Russia “impos(ed) citizenship on” its residents. They voted to rejoin Russia to become citizens, a right granted them.
The report lied saying it “resulted in regressive effects on the enjoyment of human rights…” Just the opposite. They were freed from illegitimate putschists running Ukraine, a US-imposed fascist dictatorship, repressing anyone opposing their ruthlessness, imprisoning and torturing them, murdering others, waging naked aggression on its own citizens – vital information the report suppressed.
Claiming Russian laws governing Crimea violate “international humanitarian law to respect the existing law of the occupied territory” is utter rubbish.
Crimeans chose to rejoin Russia, exercising their right of self-determination. The area is not occupied territory.
The report turned truth on its head claiming Russian laws “have restricted the right to liberty and security of the person and the space for the enjoyment of fundamental freedoms.”
Just the opposite. They assure fundamental rights for all Crimeans, world’s apart from how fascists run Ukraine oppressively, stifling freedoms, regained by rejoining Russia.
The report disgracefully falsely claimed “(t)he rights of (Crimeans) to freedom of opinion and expression, association, peaceful assembly, movement, thought, conscience and religion, were obstructed through acts of intimidation, pressure, physical attacks, warnings as well as harassment through judicial measures, including prohibitions, house searches, detentions and sanctions.”
Publishing this type trash represents how disgracefully the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights operates – functioning as an imperial tool, lying for power, earlier about Syria, ignoring Obama’s war, more recently on Venezuela, blaming its government for Washington’s political and economic war, high crimes against a sovereign independent state.
The office has no credibility whatever, lying for power, serving Western interests, violating its mandate, blaming victims for the crimes of perpetrators.
It doesn’t protect human rights. It’s an instrument aiding their violation by America and its rogue allies.
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