EU nations seek to call out rights violations in Russia

By JAMEY KEATEN
Associated Press

GENEVA (AP) — Diplomats say European Union member states — except Hungary — are moving forward at the U.N.’s main human rights body to hold Russia’s government to account for a crackdown on media, arbitrary arrests, restrictions on free speech and other rights concerns in the country. EU concerns about rights in Russia have grown after President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine earlier this year. Back-channel negotiations at the Human Rights Council by 26 EU member states hope to give teeth — such as by appointing rights expert to hawk over Russia — to efforts to keep tabs on rights violations in Russia.