Thank you, Mr President.
High Commissioner,
We continue to have serious concerns about the human rights situation in China, firstly in Xinjiang, where further shocking details of egregious and systematic human rights violations continue to emerge. We welcome your update yesterday on the publication of your report and await prompt publication. As we near the 25th anniversary of the Handover, we also remain deeply concerned about the worsening situation in Hong Kong, where - as you yourself have stated - arrests of lawyers, journalists and others under the National Security Law continue.
We remain rightly focused on the atrocities occurring during President Putin's illegal war of aggression in Ukraine. But that war is being enabled by escalating repression back home in Russia that seeks to stifle the voices of those brave few who speak out against the war.
We have condemned the recent arrest of politician and human rights activist Vladimir Kara-Murza. His sentencing is just the latest attempt to shutdown opposition including the continued imprisonment of Alexander Navalny. We call for his immediate release.
This latest escalation comes at a time when discrimination and repression continues against LGBT people, particularly in Chechnya, and freedom of religion continues to be curbed, particularly against the Jehovah's Witnesses across Russia. We urge the HRC to give this grave suppression of human rights its full attention that it deserves.
Thank you
