President Obama promised Ukrainians, Americans, and freedom-loving people everywhere, that Russia will face isolation for its violations of fundamental rights in Ukraine. True international isolation requires the immediate removal of Russia from the United Nation’s top human rights body, the UN Human Rights Council.

We ask you to sign this petition calling upon President Obama to take all necessary measures to suspend Russia as a member of the UN Human Rights Council. 

Here’s why:

The UN was created to protect international peace and security and, in principle, it is committed to universal rights and freedoms for all. Russia's invasion and attempted annexation of the Crimea breaches these duties in the following ways:

- Russia has violated the UN Charter's fundamental principle of "non-interference in domestic jurisdiction" by sending thousands of Russian troops into Ukraine

- Russia is violating the sovereignty of Ukraine by occupying a foreign country against the wishes of its government

- Russia has violated the basic political freedoms of Ukrainians by having conducted a "referendum" under conditions of duress and  military intimidation

- Russia is falsely portraying its aggression as a response to manufactured rights violations in Crimea, thus undermining essential truths of genuine human rights protection.

Russia’s membership on the Council, therefore, directly undermines the credibility and legitimacy of the United Nations in general and its human rights system in particular.

Ukrainians are not the only victims of Russian human rights abuses. The 2013 U.S. State Department Report itemizes a long list of violations, including a "crackdown on dissent that began after Vladimir Putin’s return to the presidency."Freedom House gives Russia its lowest level of human rights ranking - "not free."  Last but not least, Russia’s disregard for human rights has led to its political, financial and military support for the genocidal regimes and state sponsors of terrorism, Iran and Syria.

If Russian belligerence in the Ukraine is not met by serious consequences, aggressive ambitions of other like-minded states - and their terrorist collaborators - will be fueled around the globe.

Therefore we ask you to sign this petition calling upon President Obama to take all necessary steps immediately to suspend Russia from membership on the UN Human Rights Council, beginning with placing before the UN General Assembly a resolution calling for the suspension of Russia as a Council member.

 For your information, we provide the following:

How to suspend a country from the Human Rights Council: 

- UN rules allow for the suspension of a Human Rights Council member state by a 2/3 majority of the UN General Assembly for “gross and systemic violations of human rights.”  In contrast to the Security Council, Russia holds no veto power in the General Assembly.

The responsibilities of Human Rights Council membership:

- The Council's official job description: "the Council shall be responsible for promoting universal respect for the protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all."

- Who deserves election:  "When electing members of the Council, Member States shall take into account the contribution of candidates to the promotion and  protection of human rights."

- Duties of Council members: “Members elected to the Council shall uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights.”

Thank you for supporting this call to take action against a very clear violation of international peace and security, and direct threat to a democratic way of life.