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	Magnitude of human rights violations in Syria has dramatically increased – UN panel by Paulo Pinheiro United Nations   17 September 2012   The scale and frequency of gross human rights violations in Syria has significantly increased in recent weeks, according to a new report by the United Nations independent panel probing abuses committed during the country’s ongoing conflict.   The report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry (CoI) on Syria, which was mandated by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council, states that indiscriminate attacks against civilians are now occurring on a daily basis in many areas of the country including Aleppo, Damascus, Dera, Larakia, Idlib and Homs.   “Gross violations of human rights have grown in number, in pace and in scale,” the Chair of the Commission, Paulo Pinheiro, told the Council this morning. “Civilians, many of them children, are bearing the brunt of the spiralling violence.”   Syria has been wracked by violence, with an estimated 19,000 people, mostly civilians, killed since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began some 18 months ago. Mr. Pinheiro said the report, which is based on the Commission’s investigations and interviews conducted up until two weeks ago, had found reasonable grounds to believe that Government forces and members of the Government-controlled militia known as the Shabiha, had committed war crimes, gross violations against human rights and crimes against humanity.   Violations conducted by Government forces include murder, summary executions, torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, sexual violence, violations of children’s rights, pillaging and destruction of civilian objects – including hospitals and schools.   Anti-Government armed groups have also committed war crimes, including murder and torture, Mr. Pinheiro said. In addition, children under 18 years of age are fighting and performing auxiliary roles for anti-Government armed groups.   A confidential list of individuals and units that are believed to be responsible for violations will be provided to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay. However, Mr. Pinheiro said the names would not be publicly released because suspects were entitled to the presumption of innocence and because there is no mechanism in place yet to hold perpetrators responsible where allegations could be contested.   The report also states that the socio-economic situation has further deteriorated, with 2.5 million people in need of humanitarian aid, and more than 1.2 million people internally displaced, half of which are children, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).   Mr. Pinheiro stressed that the situation was worsening in part due to the cumulative effect of conflict and economic sanctions. “The Commission maintains that sanctions result in a denial of the most basic human rights to Syrians. Scarcity of basic human needs such as potable water food, electricity, petrol and cooking fuel is causing rampant inflation,” he said.   In addition, Mr. Pinheiro warned that the conflict is spilling over into neighbouring countries, threatening stability and security in the region, and called on the international community to deploy renewed efforts to support the mission of the Joint Special Representative of the UN and the League of Arab States, Lakhdar Brahimi, to stop the violence and find a durable solution to the crisis.   During the same meeting, High Commissioner Navi Pillay introduced the report of the Secretary-General on the human rights situation in Syria and called on all parties to immediately stop the violence. She also echoed Mr. Pinheiro’s remarks by urging cooperation with Mr. Brahimi to find a solution to the crisis.   Established in September last year, the Commission has conducted more than 1,100 interviews and has delivered six reports and updates to the Human Rights Council on the situation in Syria.   * Access the report as a PDF Document via the link below, note it is over 100 pages. Visit the related web page
	Greek Government must take tougher action against Goldern Dawn xenophobic violence by AP, Kathimerini Greece   14/9/2012   Far-right blood drive riles medic. (Kathimerini)   The latest in a series of initiatives by the neofascist Chrysi Avgi (Golden Dawn) to gather donations for blood banks went ahead on Friday in a central Athens square amid protests by doctors’ unions, but the head of the Geniko Kratiko Hospital insisted that the blood would go to any citizens in need, not only to Greeks, as demanded by the ultra-right group.   The blood donation initiative went ahead in Aghios Panteleimonas Square, a run-down area near central Athens, but hospital authorities insisted that the terms Golden Dawn had attempted to impose would not be observed. The director of Geniko Kratiko Hospital, Giorgos Papadopoulos, told Kathimerini that it had received an official request from Golden Dawn to conduct the blood donations but emphasized that no restrictions would apply regarding who that blood would go to.   Members of Golden Dawn attending the blood drive in Aghios Panteleimonas reportedly took the opportunity to hand out free food to citizens who had given blood.   While the blood initiative was under way, a group of around 10 people burst into a local convenience store managed by a Pakistani national, grabbed canned soft drinks and other goods from the shelves and distributed them to passers-by, witnesses said.   Athens Mayor Giorgos Kaminis condemned Golden Dawn for their tactics but appeared unsurprised. “They do not want to solve their problems with legal means,” he said. “Golden Dawn feeds off lawlessness.”   Doctors’ unions condemned Golden Dawn for “including blood donations in their bigoted propaganda.” The National Center for Blood Donation said “the management of blood is the duty of blood collection services and not voluntary blood donors,” adding that the only criteria for the use of blood was “to serve those who are in real need, irrespective of race, religion or other differences, artificial or otherwise.”   In a related development on Friday the Supreme Court appealed to lift the parliamentary immunity of two Golden Dawn MPs -- Giorgos Germenis and Panagiotis Iliopoulos -- who have been linked to a raid on immigrants in Rafina, northeast of Athens. Another Golden Dawn MP, Constantinos Barbarousis, is also to face a parliamentary probe over a similar raid in Mesolongi, western Greece.   12/9/2012 (AP)   Greece says it will toughen sentencing for hate crimes, following a surge in attacks against immigrants and violence involving members of a far-right political party, the country"s justice minister claimed. Antonis Roupakiotis said racially motivated crimes would carry a minimum three-year prison sentence, under judicial reforms due to be voted on in parliament later this year.   Current guidelines generally do not have specific provisions for racial motives in sentencing, and prison sentences for assault are often suspended. Migrant and human rights groups have reported an alarming rise in assaults against mostly South Asian immigrants since the start of the country"s crippling financial crisis. "It seems like the Greek government is finally taking xenophobic violence seriously," Judith Sunderland, a senior Western Europe researcher at Human Rights Watch, told the Associated Press. "But we need to see concrete action, not just announcements. We hope draft legislation will be examined in parliament soon."   Human Rights Watch said it had documented a rise in anti-immigrant attacks, including stabbings and serious beatings, in Athens over the past two years, leaving dozens of confirmed victims. Earlier this week, Greece"s government launched an urgent inquiry into attacks by members of the extreme right Golden Dawn party against immigrant street vendors, whom they accused of operating illegally. Four people were arrested Tuesday in Messolongi, a town in central Greece, for demanding document inspections from immigrant vendors, while a police officer was suspended for allegedly participating in a Golden Dawn-led attack on immigrants stalls in the same town over the weekend. Golden Dawn won nearly 7 percent of the vote in June general elections, getting 18 seats in the 300-member parliament. Roupakiotis accused the party of trying to cultivate a "neo-Nazi ideology" in Greece.   "We condemn in the strongest possible way every act of violence, and especially actions by members and supporters of Golden Dawn against immigrants or other citizens," he said. "We believe this is an insult to our long-standing notions of justice and the defense of human rights. It is a threat to harmony in society and creates the conditions to develop fascist and neo-Nazi ideology." Visit the related web page
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