Accountability for human rights violations and international crimes paramount, Security Council must act

Syria: Accountabilityfor human rights violations and international crimes paramount, SecurityCouncil must act

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and theWorld Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) welcomed the resolution adopted todayby the United Nations Human Rights Council, strongly condemning the continuedgrave and systematic human rights violations committed by the Syrianauthorities and establishing an independent Commission of Inquiry toinvestigate the human rights situation in the country.

The Human Rights Council, the UN’s principal bodycharged with the promotion and protection of human rights, adopted theresolution at this second special session on the situation of human rights inSyria by affirmative vote of 33 of the 47 members of the Council.

A Fact Finding Mission on Syria, dispatched by theOffice of the High Commissioner for Human Rights following the Council’s firstspecial session on Syria in April 2011, reported on 17 August 2011 its findingsof widespread and systematic human rights violations, including enforceddisappearances, arbitrary and extrajudicial executions, torture andill-treatment. Today’s Council resolution expressed profound concern at theMission’s findings, including that the patterns of human rights violations mayamount to crimes against humanity, as provided for in article 7 of the RomeStatute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“What mattersnow is action”, said Alex Conte, ICJ Representative to the United Nations. “The new Commission of Inquiry must beafforded the greatest support possible and as wide a mandate as possible toenable it to establish the facts and circumstances necessary to ensure acomprehensive consideration of accountability issues”, he added.

The ICJ and OMCT stressed that accountability forhuman rights violations and alleged crimes is paramount, including for allthose responsible those in commandand under the command of the Syrianauthorities. Such individuals include members of the Presidential Guard, theFourth Division of the Army and the Shabbiha“civilian militia” forces. The ICJ and OMCT have repeatedly urged all relevantUN institutions to consider all options at their disposal to ensure accountabilityfor perpetrators of human rights and international crimes, and justice for all.

“In the face ofthe overwhelming and compelling evidence presented, amongst others by thereport of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the situation must nowurgently be referred by the Security Council to the International CriminalCourt”, said Gerald Staberock, Deputy Secretary General of OMCT. Suchaction would be taken under article 13 of the Rome Statute, which allowsreferral of a matter to the jurisdiction of the Court where a situation appearsto involve the commission of a crime under the Statute.

For moreinformation, please contact Alex Conte, ICJ Representative to the UnitedNations, at +41-79-957-2733, or Saïd Benarbia, ICJ Middle East & North AfricaLegal Adviser, at +41-22-979-3817, or Gerald Staberock, Deputy SecretaryGeneral, OMCT, at +41 22 809 4939 or +41 79 377 5446.