The initiators of the UN Human Rights Council's special session on Syria are attempting to shield terrorists from airstrikes in Aleppo, Russia's envoy to the UN office in Geneva (UNOG) Alexei Borodavkin said Friday.
Battered Aleppo
© Sputnik/ Michael Alaeddin
The international assessments of the situation in Syria are far from reality, Borodavkin said.
"The Human Rights Council has been considering the Syrian dossier for five years, and the assessments of the situation are moving closer from reality due to efforts of a certain group of countries. Today's session is an example of this. Instead of supporting the Syrian government and the people in the fight against international terrorism, its initiators are trying to take terrorists away from the strike, save them from destruction, allow them to regroup and continue their atrocities," Borodavkin said at the session.
The draft human rights council resolution on Aleppo presented by the United Kingdom essentially aims to justify the actions of jihadists, he said.
"We have to state that both the session and the draft are a part of information war which essentially aims to justify jihadists and their actions," Borodavkin said.
"In recent days the situation in Aleppo has dramatically changed, but the authors of the project prefer not to notice it," Borodavkin said. According to him, "their demands to Syria and its allies to cease hostilities in Aleppo have no sense - since yesterday the regime of unilateral humanitarian ceasefire is operating".


Comment: West: "Russia, cease firing, we demand it!"

Russia: "We have ceased firing, since 36 hours ago."

West: "Russia, cease firing, we demand it!"


A "humanitarian pause" was introduced in Aleppo at 08:00 local time (05:00 GMT) on Thursday to ensure the safe evacuation of unarmed militants, and civilians from eastern Aleppo via eight designated corridors.

Later, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that Moscow had decided to extend the humanitarian pause in Aleppo for another 24 hours.