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UN mandates special team to consolidate evidence and prosecute for war crimes in Syria

The United Nations General Assembly voted to establish an investigative body to “collect, consolidate, preserve and analyse evidence,” as well as prepare cases on war crimes and human rights abuses committed during the conflict in Syria, reports the Telegraph.
The resolution, tabled by Liechtenstein, passed with a vote 105 to 15 with 52 abstentions, with objections from Syria and Russia.
The special team is expected to prepare files in order to facilitate and expedite fair and independent criminal proceedings in accordance with international law standards, in national, regional or international courts or tribunals that have or may in the future have jurisdiction over these crimes.”
Commenting on the resolution, Senior International Justice Counsel at Human Rights Watch, Balkees Jarrah, said,
“The General Assembly today demonstrated that it can take the reins on questions of justice in the face of Security Council deadlock. The countries that voted for this unprecedented Syria resolution took a critically important stand for victims of massive grace crime. By establishing the investigative mechanism, the General Assembly is helping pae the road to accountability after years of unchecked atrocities. Simply condemning the murder and mayhem inflicted on civilians is not enough. Perpetrators now know that evidence of their misdeeds will be collected to hasten the day when they find themselves in the dock.”
Lichtenstein’s ambassador to the UN, speaking ahead of the vote said,
“We have postponed any meaningful action on accountability too often for too long.”

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