U.N. rights body extends Ukraine inquiry into crimes since Russia's invasion

FILE PHOTO: A flag is seen on a building during the Human Rights Council at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland February 27, 2023. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations Human Rights Council overwhelmingly voted in favour on Tuesday of extending the mandate of an investigative body probing possible war crimes committed since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Twenty-eight countries voted in favour, 17 abstained and two voted against the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, which Ukraine says is essential for keeping Russia accountable for its crimes.

"The scope and brutality of Russia's atrocities in Ukraine are simply beyond any human comprehension," Ukraine's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Yevheniia Filipenko, told the Council ahead of the vote.

"We strongly believe that the continued work of the Commission in further investigating, documenting and reporting of human rights violations and international crimes committed against the people in Ukraine could save more innocent lives (and) could contribute to accountability for perpetrators and justice for victims."

In a report published last month, the commission found that some crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine, including the use of torture and attacks against the country's energy infrastructure, could constitute crimes against humanity.

Russia, which refused to address the Human Rights Council on Tuesday, vigorously denies committing atrocities or targeting civilians in Ukraine.

(Reporting by Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber and Emma Farge; Editing by)