The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday suspended Russia from the U.N. Human Rights Council over reports of “gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights” by invading Russian troops in Ukraine.

Sierra Leone was among the 93 countries who voted in favour of the suspension while 24 countries voted no and 58 countries abstained.

A two-thirds majority of voting members in the 193-member General Assembly in New York – abstentions do not count – was needed to suspend Russia from the 47-member Geneva-based Human Rights Council.

Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukraine’s UN ambassador, had introduced the US-initiated resolution before the 193 members of the general assembly vote.

He said Russia has committed “horrific human rights violations and abuses that would be equated to war crimes and crimes against humanity”.

Kyslytsya added: “Russia’s actions are beyond the pale. Russia is not only committing human rights violations, it is shaking the underpinnings of international peace and security.”

Recall that Sierra Leone had on Wednesday 2nd March 2022 also joined 140 other nations to vote overwhelming in favour of the General Assembly resolution on aggression against Ukraine by Russia.

In a statement delivered by Ambassador Michael Imran Kanu, Deputy Permanent Representative for Legal Affairs, Sierra Leone called for the full respect of the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

“We also urged for good-faith diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict,” he said.