UN High Commissioner for human rights, Navi Pillay, once again urged the Security Council to refer Syria to the International Criminal Court for the state's brutal clamp down of anti-government protest.
The UN estimates over 5000 people have been killed.
Highlighting the systematic and widespread attack on civilians, Pillay asserted that the state's actions "constituted crimes against humanity".
Addressing a closed session of the UN Security Council on Monday, Pillay said,
"I encouraged this Council (last August) to refer the situation to the International Criminal Court. Four months later, the situation in Syria has deteriorated and gross violations have been committed with impunity. The need for international criminal accountability has acquired ever greater urgency,"
"It is based on the evidence and the widespread and systematic nature of the killings, the detentions and the acts of torture that I felt that these acts constituted crimes against humanity and I recommended that there should be a referral to the International Criminal Court,"
"Inaction by the international community will embolden Syrian authorities, and ensure perpetrators go unpunished."
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
