UN ousts Russia from Human Rights Council

The U.N. General Assembly has voted to suspend Russia from the U.N.'s leading human rights body over allegations of horrific rights violations by Russian soldiers in Ukraine, which the United States and Ukraine have called tantamount to war crimes.

Russia is the second country to have its membership rights stripped at the Human Rights Council, which was established in 2006.

In 2011, the assembly suspended Libya when upheaval in the North African country brought down longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi.

The vote on Thursday was 93-24 with 58 abstentions.

Defence Minister Anita Anand says the 93-to-24 vote in the UN General Assembly to strip Russia of its membership rights at the Human Rights Council shows countries are acting together to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Anand says the decision also states that Russia's conduct and lack of respect for human rights is unacceptable.