GENEVA—A representative of Belarus, backed by Russia, China, and Venezuela, tried and failed to limit speeches as the U.N.’s top human rights body held an urgent debate Friday on alleged rights violations by Belarusian authorities under President Alexander Lukashenko.
The president of the Human Rights Council put an end to the repeated interruptions of speakers by the four countries—which in essence argued a breach of procedural rules. Elisabeth Tichy-Fisslberger, the Austrian ambassador in Geneva, allowed speakers who included Lukashenko’s main election challenger to continue decrying a string of alleged rights violations in Belarus.
