UN Human Rights Council adopts resolution to investigate Russia's crimes in Ukraine

The UNHRC announced this on Twitter.

The Council voted to tighten controls on "deteriorating human rights situation in Ukraine, stemming from the Russian aggression," especially in light of the events in Mariupol and several other cities.

33 states voted in favor, 12 abstained, 2 voted against - China and Eritrea.

"The UN Human Rights Council reiterates its demand for an immediate cessation of military hostilities against Ukraine and for all parties to the conflict to respect the fundamental principles and rules of international humanitarian law, including to refrain from any attacks on civilians and civilian objects, and to refrain from from any violations and abuses of human rights in Ukraine," the resolution states. 

The Council has asked the Independent International Commission of Inquiry into Ukraine to investigate the events in Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv and Sumy regions, and asked the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to submit a report to the next session of the Council in June this year on serious human rights violation and the humanitarian situation in Mariupol.

It calls on Russia to provide representatives and staff of international human rights and humanitarian agencies, including UN specialized agencies, with unimpeded, timely, immediate, unrestricted and safe access to persons transported from conflict-affected areas of Ukraine and detained in Russia or Russian-occupied territories, and provide the relevant parties with a complete list of such transferred persons and their whereabouts.