U.N. Rights Chief Urges ICC Referral of Syria Crimes
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The U.N.'s human rights chief called Friday for Syria to be referred to the International Criminal Court over allegations that its crackdown on opposition protesters has led to crimes against humanity.
Navi Pillay, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, said fresh reports from the country — including that 307 children have been killed since March — reinforced the need for the Security Council to submit the situation in Syria to the Hague-based court.
"In light of the manifest failure of the Syrian authorities to protect their citizens, the international community needs to take urgent and effective measures to protect the Syrian people," Pillay told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva.
A draft resolution backed by African, European, Asian, Arab and American members of the 47-nation rights council calls for the establishment of a special investigator on Syria, but leaves open the issue of whether the more powerful Security Council should refer the country to the ICC.
Russia and China have held back support for the resolution. The two permanent members of the Security Council have condemned the bloodshed, but are staunchly resisting further international pressure on Syria.
Pillay said her office had received reliable information that the death toll since the start of the eight-month uprising was now "much more" than 4,000.
"The Syrian authorities' continual ruthless repression, if not stopped now, can drive the country into a full-fledged civil war," she said.
The chairman of the Commission of Inquiry on Syria, Paulo Pinheiro, told the session that Syrian state forces killed 56 children in November in the "deadliest month" since the start of the March crackdown on dissidents.
The panel spoke to 223 victims, witnesses and defectors from the Syrian military from September to November after being tasked by the Human Rights Council, though it was not granted access to the country.
Pinheiro said they had gathered a solid body of evidence showing children were among the victims of murder and torture carried out by state forces.
02 December 2011, 12:21
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This is a photo of a Christian woman in Homs weeping over the killing of her son by the Sunni crazies, For once, Naharnet shows a photo of the real tragedy.
02 December 2011, 15:17
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What a beautiful boy in this picture. It's a pitty for these boys and children to be slaughtered by the ruler who is supposed to protect them; what an oxymoron. My heart really goes to his mother and family members. I am a father and know very well how precious kids are and what is it that we could do for them, including sacrificing our lives for them. What woudl bashar do if someone killed his children for no reason? Would he stand still? Like gaddifi, Bashar's kids are at risk of being killed when the battle is over and the regime is changed. I don't want to see this eventuality, but the way things are going it is more likely than not to be the end result of this struggle for freedom. If Bashar knows what's good for him, he should leave the country and live abroad with all his billions that he made. many before him have done this and died in exile after leading a life full of peacefulness and happiness. But, I surmise the time now is too late for him to do that.
02 December 2011, 15:44
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No worries. Dr. Geagea's democratic Sunni crazies will protect the Christians in the East. NO WORRIES. Didn't they invade Achrafieh when he called them minnina mainly to protect the Christians there? But now Achrafieh doesn't need Dr. Geagea. They have Potato Nadim protecting them.
02 December 2011, 19:41
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yes of course freemo, all the civilians killed were killed by "sunni crazies" everyone knows that and assad is only a poor victim even israel its best friend doesn t want him to leave because he is such a coward that he has never fired a bullet to free the golan heights
... i m weeping for him and you... poor guys! you are sooooo oppressed!
