Amnesty International accuses Damascus of crimes against humanity

After playing a role of a mere observer for most part of the ongoing crisis in Syria, Amnesty International has blasted Bashar Al-Assad’s regime for committing crimes against humanity

In Syria, everyday, crimes are being committed against humanity in the name of reaction of the government to avenge communities suspected for supporting insurgents.

In a report released this Wednesday, Amnesty International has accused the regime of committing heinous crimes on humanity.

The International Association for the Defence of Human Rights, based in London claims to have evidence that the victims, including many children were dragged from their homes and killed by soldiers who in some cases, burned their corpses.

“This alarming new evidence of an organized system of serious abuse highlights the urgent need for a decisive international action,” says Donatella Rivera, a crisis situation expert at Amnesty International. Donatella presented a 70-page report under the
title of “Fatal Retaliation”.

People from 23 towns and villages in Syria have been interviewed by Amnesty and these interviews have concluded that the Syrian forces and militia groups were guilty of “grave violation of human rights and serious breaches of international humanitarian law
extending to crimes against humanity and war crimes.”

The report further describes how soldiers and militia have set houses and property on fire without the slightest regard to the surroundings. Bystanders are being wounded and killed without any reason.

Donatella says that most of the people she met, are asking why the world is standing still while atrocities are being committed on a daily basis by the government forces.

Systematic torture

Syrian regime has also been accused of torturing detainees systematically, including those who are sick and elderly. The report has requested the UN Security Council to impose an arms embargo on Syria.

According to l’Observatoire Syrien des droits de l’homme (OSDH) based in Britain, around 14000 people, mostly civilians have been killed since the revolt against President Bashar Al-Assad began in March 2011.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and CEO of UN Peacekeeping Operations, Hervé Ladsous have already declared Syria to be in a state of “civil war”.

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Posted by Taimoor Tariq on Jun 14 2012. Filed under Middle East. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry