The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network, presented an oral intervention on Syria to the United Nations Human Rights Council (the Council) today, Tuesday, June 4, 2013. The intervention was presented in response to the report of the international independent commission of inquiry on Syria, which was presented to the Council as part of the activities of the 23rd session, currently convened in Geneva and which will continue until June 14.
The intervention condemned the human rights violations committed by the Syrian government and by some segments of the opposition which have reached the level of crimes against humanity and war crimes and which have blatantly breached international humanitarian law. The intervention pointed to the inadequate stances of the international community regarding the situation in Syria and its failure not only to protect the Syrian population but also to establish real mechanisms for accountability for the grave crimes committed.
The intervention examined the most prominent patterns of violations committed in Syria throughout the past two years, including widespread arbitrary arrest, extrajudicial killings, and serious violations against women. The intervention further highlighted the situation of Syrian refugees. It asserted that the inability to address the issue of impunity in Syria is one of the major factors which contribute to the repetition and increase of human rights abuses in Syria.
Finally, the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, and the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network called upon the Council to refuse to become politicized in its evaluation of the situation in Syria and to fulfill its duty to defend the rights of the victims of the crisis. They called upon the Council to urge the UN Security Council to refer Syria to the International Criminal Court in order to ensure accountability for the grave violations to human rights committed in Syria.
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