UN rights body condemns Syria over human rights violations

The main United Nations human rights body condemned the government of President Bashar Al Assad on Thursday for violations in Syria that it said may amount to crimes against humanity, and called for a halt to attacks on civilians.

The 47-member Geneva forum adopted a resolution brought by Gulf and Western countries with 37 states in favour and China, Cuba and Russia against. The US human rights ambassador said these three countries "are on the wrong side of history".

The Human Rights Council strongly condemned "the widespread and systematic violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms by the Syrian authorities".

Syria's delegation boycotted the emergency debate after its ambassador to the UN stormed out on Tuesday.

"I think that the vote speaks for itself. There is an overwhelming international consensus on the human rights situation in Syria and the humanitarian crisis that has been created by the Assad regime," U.S. ambassador Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe told Reuters TV.

"I think the isolation of China, Russia and Cuba is sad but it was expected. The meaning of this vote is almost as important for those three countries as it is for the Assad regime.  They are on the wrong side of history."

It is the fourth time since April that the forum, which has moral authority but no legal force, has condemned Syria. There were three absentions in the vote and four delegations did not take part.

Russian diplomat Vladimir Zheglov, in a speech delivered just before the vote, rejected the text as "yet another example of one-sided, political approaches to the situation in Syria being pushed forward by some countries".

The Council said Syrian violations included shelling of civilian areas that has killed "thousands of innocent civilians", executions, the killing and persecution of protesters, the deaths of Syrian and foreign journalists, arbitrary detention and interference with access to medical care.

It voiced strong concern at the deteriorating humanitarian situation and called for food, medicines and fuel to reach besieged populations.

It also stressed the importance of ensuring accountability for crimes "including those violations that may amount to crimes against humanity".
Independent U.N. investigators, in a report issued on February  23, said Syrian forces bent on crushing a nearly year-long uprising have shot dead unarmed civilians, shelled residential areas and tortured wounded protesters in hospital on orders from the "highest level".

The team, led by Brazilian expert Paulo Pinheiro, said it had compiled a list of Syrian civil and military authorities suspected of international crimes.

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