For immediate release Geneva, 23 August 2011
Syria: Accountability for human rights violations and international crimes paramount, Security Council must act
The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) welcomed the resolution adopted today by the United Nations Human Rights Council, strongly condemning the continued grave and systematic human rights violations committed by the Syrian authorities and establishing an independent Commission of Inquiry to investigate the human rights situation in the country.
The Human Rights Council, the UN’s principal body charged with the promotion and protection of human rights, adopted the resolution at this second special session on the situation of human rights in Syria by affirmative vote of 33 of the 47 members of the Council.
A Fact Finding Mission on Syria, dispatched by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights following the Council’s first special session on Syria in April 2011, reported on 17 August 2011 its findings of widespread and systematic human rights violations, including enforced disappearances, arbitrary and extrajudicial executions, torture and ill-treatment. Today’s Council resolution expressed profound concern at the Mission’s findings, including that the patterns of human rights violations may amount to crimes against humanity, as provided for in article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“What matters now is action”, said Alex Conte, ICJ Representative to the United Nations. “The new Commission of Inquiry must be afforded the greatest support possible and as wide a mandate as possible to enable it to establish the facts and circumstances necessary to ensure a comprehensive consideration of accountability issues”, he added.
The ICJ and OMCT stressed that accountability for human rights violations and alleged crimes is paramount, including for all those responsible those in command and under the command of the Syrian authorities. Such individuals include members of the Presidential Guard, the Fourth Division of the Army and the Shabbiha “civilian militia” forces. The ICJ and OMCT have repeatedly urged all relevant UN institutions to consider all options at their disposal to ensure accountability for perpetrators of human rights and international crimes, and justice for all.
“In the face of the overwhelming and compelling evidence presented, amongst others by the report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the situation must now urgently be referred by the Security Council to the International Criminal Court”, said Gerald Staberock, Deputy Secretary General of OMCT. Such action would be taken under article 13 of the Rome Statute, which allows referral of a matter to the jurisdiction of the Court where a situation appears to involve the commission of a crime under the Statute.
For more information, please contact Alex Conte, ICJ Representative to the United Nations, at +41-79-957-2733, or Saïd Benarbia, ICJ Middle East & North Africa Legal Adviser, at +41-22-979-3817, or Gerald Staberock, Deputy Secretary General, OMCT, at +41 22 809 4939 or +41 79 377 5446.
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