Syria has committed crimes against humanity, including the torture and rape of children, in its crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations, a UN commission of inquiry says.
The commission’s report, for the UN Human Rights Council, highlights executions, torture, rape, arbitrary detentions and abductions carried out since March by Syrian forces cracking down on pro-democracy demonstrations. It said President Bashar al-Assad’s regime was responsible for the deaths and violence.
“The commission therefore believes that orders to shoot and otherwise mistreat civilians originated from policies and directives issued at the highest levels of the armed forces and the government.”
The commission, which interviewed 223 victims and witnesses, called on Syria to halt “gross human rights violations”, release prisoners rounded up in mass arrests and allow media, aid workers and rights monitors access to the country.
More than 3,500 people have been killed in the violence, according to the United Nations, while activists say that up to 30,000 have been arrested, many kept in open-air stadiums.
After continuing international criticism of President Assad’s handling of the crisis, the Arab League approved sanctions against Syria on Sunday, prompting a pro-government demonstration in the capital Damascus on Monday.
The report highlights the horrific and shocking actions carried out by the Assad regime. Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt
Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt said: “After independent investigation, the report highlights the horrific and shocking actions carried out by the Assad regime against its own civilian population. Particularly disturbing are the reports of the abhorrent treatment of children, including sexual torture.
“As the commission states, such widespread and systematic attacks against civilians may amount to crimes against humanity.
“We continue to believe that President Assad should step aside and allow the Syrian people to realise their aspirations for greater freedom, dignity and a more open political system.”
In a written response included in the report, Syria’s mission to the UN said Damascus was standing against US “policies of occupation” and blamed the violence on “terrorist operations carried out by armed outlaws who are terrorising our citizens” and trying to “divide the country along sectarian lines and incite civil war”.
Syria refused access to the UN investigators, who said that while there had been “isolated instances” of violence by demonstrators, the “majority of civilians were killed in the context of peaceful demonstrations”.
The commission concluded: “A number of cases was documented of injured people who were taken to military hospitals, where they were beaten and tortured during interrogation. Children were also tortured, some to death.”