Moscow denies to violate Human Rights

On the 4th of February, Russia has, at last, accepted to be examined by the UN (Examen Periodique Universel, EPU) about the respect of Human Rights in its country.
It appears there is a very huge gap between what the state says about the respect of Human Rights and the reality highlited by NGOs and the UN. Indeed, the Russian ministery of Justice said that Russia had improved in the field of Human Rights and that, I quote, "any case of harassment, repression or violence by State institutions or power against journalists have ever been done". Russia kept this argumentation during the all session, which spread an atmosphere of irrealism and "a big cold in the room". Many evidences prooving the inverse and two representants of repressed NGOs being there.
For example in 2008, two news editor were beaten up almost to death, an intern killed as well as a lawyer defeding Human Rights.



I knew that Russia didn't respect Human Rights, but nobody really talks about it, and so I didn't really "care" (if I can say that). But now that this has been highlited in the newspaper, although it isn't on the front pages, I would like to know more about UN sanctions. The article doesn't mention it. I find this deliberate denying attitude in front of the UN very chocking whereas everybody knows that there are evidences. It would be in favor of Russia to aknowledge the facts and try with the UN to improve the situation. After all, it belongs to the security council ! What made me "laugh" in the article too is that "La Russie annoncera en juin celles qu'elle juge "acceptables"". I don't know many things about international law, but I don't understand why Russia should agree on the sanctions or "recommandations" that the UN thinks necessary (did I misunderstand the article?).
I spoke my mind, maybe not in a diplomatic way, but I think that problems linked with Human Rights should be taken into account very seriously and I dislike the fact that "big or important countries" have the power to avoid sanctions when they don't respect them sometimes. Of course, I think I can understand the difficulty for the UN to manage to make the countries respect Human Rights without provoking international clashes, but even so...

Let me know what you think.