Saudi Arabia, China, Russia, Cuba win seats on U.N. Human Rights Council

China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Cuba, Vietnam and Algeria on Tuesday won seats at the Human Rights Council, the U.N.’s highest rights monitoring body.

The General Assembly on Tuesday elected 14 new members to the 47-seat Geneva-based council, which can shine a spotlight on rights abuses by adopting resolutions, the Associated Press reported.

Saudi Arabia has been criticized by human rights groups for its treatment of religious and political minorities, homosexuals and women. The General Council has 193 members and Saudi Arabia won 140 votes, Al Arabiya reported.

The New York-based Human Rights Watch said the four elected nations have refused to let U.N. investigators visit to check alleged abuses.

Also elected to three-year terms were Britain, France, the Maldives, Macedonia, Cuba, Mexico, Algeria, Morocco, Namibia and South Africa.