UN human rights experts urge Syria to end use of violence against civilians by United Nations News 7:57pm 4th Aug, 2011   UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on the Syrian President to immediately halt the use of force against civilians.    Mr. Ban expressed his strong concern and that of the international community at the mounting violence and death toll in Syria.    Over 2,000 people are reported to have been killed in clashes in Syria since protesters took to the streets in mid-March demanding greater civil liberties. The violent crackdown by the authorities has received widespread condemnation from the UN, including the Security Council and top officials, as well as world leaders.    The UN Security Council has condemned the widespread violation of human rights in Syria and the use of force against civilians by the country’s security forces, calling for an immediate end to the violence.    It stressed that “the only solution to the current crisis in Syria is through an inclusive and Syrian-led political process, with the aim of effectively addressing the legitimate aspirations of and concerns of the population which will allow the full exercise of fundamental freedoms for its entire population, including that of expression and peaceful assembly.”    As the crackdown by the Syrian Government against its own people continues unabated, a group of United Nations human rights experts today renewed their call for an immediate end to the violence used by the authorities against ongoing protests.    “The Government of Syria cannot be allowed to violate with impunity its obligation to uphold international law nor attack the very citizens it has sworn to protect without consequences,” the experts stressed in a news release.    “We unequivocally call on the Government of Syria to immediately cease the violent crackdown, stop the killings and pursue dialogue through peaceful processes,” they added.    The call by the experts, who all report in an independent capacity to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, comes two days after the Security Council condemned the widespread violation of human rights in Syria and the use of force against civilians by the security forces.    The country has been rocked by deadly civil unrest since mid-March, with the Government cracking down on protesters demanding greater civil liberties. Similar protests have erupted across North Africa and the Middle East since the start of this year, having already toppled regimes in Tunisia and Egypt, and leading to ongoing conflict in Libya.    Media reports say that Syrian security forces opened fire today on protesters who poured into the streets by the tens of thousands as the regime continued its assault on the besieged city of Hama, where over 100 people are reported to have been killed in recent days.    The experts said they continued to receive reports of the systematic use of excessive force resulting in killings and injuries; allegations of torture, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and detention of protestors; targeting of human rights defenders; and unjustified limitations on freedoms of peaceful assembly and expression.    The Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Maina Kiai, stressed that freedom of peaceful assembly is core to any democratic society. “It is of utmost importance that the Government finally addresses the legitimate concerns of peaceful protestors, instead of silencing their voices with brute force,” said Mr. Kiai.    The UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Christof Heyns, added that the indiscriminate use of heavy artillery against demonstrators cannot be justified.    “No State is allowed to use its military force against an unarmed civilian population regardless of the situation prevailing on the ground,” he stated. “The killings that result are clearly arbitrary executions and punishable under international law.”    Freedom of opinion and expression: “I am deeply concerned by the Government’s continued attempts to prevent the world from knowing the extent of atrocities unfolding on the ground by refusing access to foreign journalists, in violation of the right of all individuals to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds,” said the Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Frank La Rue.    Human Rights defenders:    The Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human rights defenders, Margaret Sekaggya, also urged the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic “to release the human rights defenders who are still detained as a result of their activities of promoting human rights, democratic reforms and national reconciliation.” Ms. Sekaggya added that "full access to the country should be granted to independent human rights organisations as well as to the fact-finding mission mandated by the Human Rights Council".    Impunity: “The Government of Syria cannot be allowed to violate with impunity its obligation to uphold international law nor attack the very citizens it has sworn to protect without consequences,” stressed the UN independent experts. “We unequivocally call on the Government of Syria to immediately cease the violent crackdown, stop the killings and pursue dialogue through peaceful processes.”    Torture: “Syria has disregarded, and continues to, every international norm against torture and ill-treatment,” said the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Juan Méndez. “Its leaders must cease such acts immediately and take note that they will be held accountable for their action.”    Enforced disappearances: “No exceptional circumstances whatsoever may be invoked to justify enforced disappearances,” said Jeremy Sarkin, Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances. Expressing concern about several reports of people being subjected to enforced disappearance, he stressed that “no State shall practice, permit or tolerate enforced disappearances.” Visit the related web page
	Next (more recent) news item
	Next (older) news item