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THE UNITED NATIONS has released a report accusing Syria’s security forces of committing hundreds of crimes against humanity throughout the government’s crackdown on political dissent.
Protests inspired by events in Tunisia and Egypt began in mid-March in Syria, calling on President Bashar Assad to introduce a range of reforms.
The report published today by the UN Human Rights Council found that at least 256 children were killed by government forces between the start of the unrest in March and early November. It also said that some of those killed had been tortured.
“Torture was applied equally to adults and children,” the report said.
The independent panel which compiled the report was not allowed into Syria to investigate claims of human rights abuses, but said it interviewed 223 victims and witnesses to abuses, some of whom outlined cases of sexual assault against men and boys who were in custody: ”Numerous testimonies indicated that boys were subjected to sexual torture in places of detention in front of adult men.”
It also said it had received “many reports on the use of schools as detention facilities and on the deployment of snipers on the roofs of schools”, and that the panel behind the report had met with several children whose mental health was being “seriously affected by their traumatic experience”.
The panel said a two-year-old girl was allegedly shot dead by an army officer to prevent her growing up to become a protester. It added that the government forces were given ‘shoot to kill’ orders when tackling demonstrations.
The panel’s chairman Paulo Sergio Pinheiro said it has built up a “very solid body of evidence” of crimes allegedly committed by Syrian forces that include murder, torture, rape and “other forms of sexual violence”.
The group also issued a clear plea to the Syrian government to immediately halt its violent crackdown on civilians:
The commission is gravely concerned that crimes against humanity have been committed in different locations in the Syrian Arab Republic during the period under review. It calls upon the government of the Syrian Arab Republic to put an immediate end to the ongoing gross human rights violations, to initiate independent and impartial investigations of these violations and to bring perpetrators to justice.
Syria is coming under increasing international pressure and criticism over the treatment of protesters, 3,500 of whom have died since the demonstrations began. However, despite that pressure and increasing international sanctions, activists in Syria report that Assad’s regime continues to try to stem political unrest with violence.
- Additional reporting by the AP
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This is terrible, what kind of sick fuck does it take to murder and torture children! I wonder if there was oil
there would NATO go in?
Very disturbing what is going on in Syria and most of the other Arab countries in the region. My thoughts are with the innocent civilians and children and I just hope that any future leadership post Assad is for the better and not worse as in Iran and Egypt.
oh. my. God.
The world is a horrible depressing and disturbing place sometimes. Hopefully assad goes sooner rather than later. Poor children.
Nato were are u…oh let me guess…u only go after the small fish….
After the small fish? Gaddafi?!
Nato only help people with oil
Any leader than clings to power while torturing and killing civilians especially children when there is mass unrest, should be put to death. For he certainly does not hold up or respect those for which he sworn to lead and represent, to be honest no one should have the power to command soldiers or anyone to go torture and kill children or anyone who wants to bring about change and to better their community and country. Shame on him the bastard.
Don’t be stupid. NATO need the backing of other countries so its the powers like the US that are once again to blame for no action
Its OK folks NATO will come to rescue with a humanitarian carpet bombing campaign in order to install some Alqaeda leaders just as they did in Libya. If people are assuming the UN is some sort of impartial truth speaking body then once again they are deluded. This is just another money power grab by the criminals running the Western fascist regimes. Maybe this colonial exploit might be the one to trigger WW3. Hail to the banisters…
Banksters that is
I prefer banisters :)
This is truly sickening.
What will sanctions achieve. Evil satanic beasts.
NATO wont get involved when the Arab League are already acting.
Unfortunately if he does step down he will probably be taken in by another corrupt African country and lead a very comfortable life. Shocking stuff to hear what there doing to children but if you do a little research there are a lot of reports of family’s being wiped out by NATO the US forces and allies while trying to take out a single target. Collateral damage. The mindset of an Mary general is a truly disturbing thing
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