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Extension of human rights monitoring mission to Ukraine not discussed - UN

Early in June parliament-appointed Foreign Minister Andrei Deshchitsa had sent a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon asking to extend the mission’s mandate for another three month

UNITED NATIONS, June 19 /ITAR-TASS/. The United Nations has not discussed with Kiev a possible extension of the mandate of the human rights monitoring mission, deputy spokesman for the UN secretary general, Farhan Haq, told Tass on Wednesday, adding that the mandate expires at the end of August.

Early in June, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said parliament-appointed Foreign Minister Andrei Deshchitsa had sent a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon asking to extend the mission’s mandate for another three months. The UN press service has declined to officially confirm receiving a request from Kiev. Extension of the mission’s mandate has not been discussed as of yet, Farhan Haq said.

A third monthly report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation in Ukraine was published on Wednesday. The report covers the period between May 7 and June 7, as well as includes observers’ conclusions about the Odessa fire tragedy on May 2.

UN experts conformed, in particular, that the ultra-nationalist Right Sector movement had taken part in rioting and some supporters of Ukraine’s unity had been beating supporters of federalization trying to get out of the Trade Unions House engulfed in flames. The report also noted that the Interior Ministry and the Security Service of Ukraine had refused to cooperate with the UN to probe into the Odessa massacre.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, in looking into the Odessa events, “the authors of the report demonstrated a more objective approach than in the previous analogous document”.

As for the rest of the report, Russia’s reaction was very negative, showing “particular outrage by hypocritical recommendation to carry out an anti-terrorist operation ‘in line with international standards’”. “This can be treated in fact as indulgence towards a further annihilation of the peaceful population and escalation of the conflict,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said.

The report will be discussed at a session of the UN Security Council within the next few days.

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Ukraine crisis United Nations Eastern Ukraine

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