Tuesday, May 21, 2013


News

UN Rights Body Names Syria Inquiry Panel, As Russia Resists Sanctions

A screen grab from a handout video shows a man dressed in civilian clothes, allegedly belonging to security forces, brutalizing other people dressed in civilian clothes as soldiers in uniform look on in Homs, Syria.
A screen grab from a handout video shows a man dressed in civilian clothes, allegedly belonging to security forces, brutalizing other people dressed in civilian clothes as soldiers in uniform look on in Homs, Syria.
TEXT SIZE - +
The UN Human Rights Council has appointed three experts who are to examine human rights violations in Syria, as mandated during an August session.

The panel includes Yakin Erturk of Turkey, Sergio Pinheiro of Brazil, and Karen Abu Zeid of the United States.

The 47-member Geneva forum has asked investigators to establish the facts and circumstances of violations and to identify the perpetrators so that they can be held accountable.

Earlier in the day, UN human rights chief Navi Pillay said at least 2,600 people had been killed in the unrest in Syria since popular protests broke out in March.

Meanwhile, Russia rejected Western calls for greater pressure on President Bashar al-Assad's regime over its crackdown on protests.

President Dmitry Medvedev said recent U.S. and European sanctions on Syria meant "additional pressure now is absolutely not needed in this direction."

In Washington, U.S. State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland reacted to Medvedev's statement, saying, "We strongly disagree. We believe that it's time for the UN Security Council to take stronger action. We continue to consult in New York. We want a resolution that has sanctions teeth."

Antigovernment Syrian protesters posted a message on Facebook, calling for "day of rage" protests against Russia around Syria on September 13.

The posting said, "We express our anger toward Russia and the Russian government."

compiled from agency reports
This forum has been closed.
Comment Sorting
Comments
     
by: Jan from: Praha
September 12, 2011 20:37
I hate Russia as well. The reason is clear. Nobody can love such a stupid country.
In Response

by: Marcia Jensen from: Minnesota
September 12, 2011 22:39
In love you hate person you love the most.
In Response

by: Kumar from: Sri Lanka
September 13, 2011 05:56
No don't blame ordinary Russians for what the government does.
Many Russians don't like it.

by: Nojan from: London
September 13, 2011 00:43
I don't understand why Russians still think they are living in the Cold War era? They don't even bother themselves to realize the fact that time has changed and people can no longer accept human rights violations in any part of the world. Their continuing support of Assad's regime make them less and less reliable in the eyes of international community.
In Response

by: Anonymous
September 15, 2011 05:55
Russia is surrounded by NATO bases. In the mid-90s, it was Washington elites assuring that NATO was purely a defensive alliance. Then no could argue that Kosovo was defensive. Then Afghanistan. Then Libya. No states attacked no NATO countries, so the alliance went far beyond its mission.

Who will pay the price? Who pays the price already? Russia hosts 150,000 Afghan refugees. None of them are responsible for terrorism, and now all blame the United States for the terrible state of their country that they want to return to. What about Libya? They lied when they were training rebels, directing the war, and now putting soldiers on the ground? Who pays the price? The secular in that country and the people with black skin.
In Response

by: Andrew from: Auckland
September 16, 2011 07:21
The reason for NATO bases surrounding Russia is that Russia's neighbors, especially former imperial possessions, see Russia as a threat.

Which it is.

by: Arabi Souri from: Hamburg, Germany
September 13, 2011 15:58
Thanks for using using the words: "allegedly belonging to security forces" in your description unlike other Mainstream Media who confirm it's of a security forces without any proof.. Who would believe a force described as "notorious" filming themselves every time while torturing or killing civilians and know it will end every time on western media?!
How can a country accept a panel to investigate its internal issues and 2 of its 3 members are from hostile countries? How can this country trust their findings not to be biased?
Syria since the first dead incident stated the existence of armed terrorist groups attacking both the security and civilians to create the image of ruthless security and regime, the same was continuously rejected by western media and officials without any proof, but later and behind the scenes confirm their existence. In Libya we were given the impression that there are not a single NATO soldier on ground at any time before the fall of Tripoli and now they come on media to glorify their soldiers' assistance in the battle there, how can we trust whatever they say keeping in mind the resemblance of both scenarios drawn for Syria & Libya?
A country has an obligation to fight crime, civilians always fall in bulk when NATO is involved, but in the Syrian case more than 700 soldiers are killed, by peaceful protesters chanting for freedom?! The country fighting crime can do so in any mean it can to preserve citizens including Army, National Guard, whatever, by the way: Turkey, Syria's northern bordering country uses Airplanes against villages of Kurds!!
If the country doesn't have the right to fight terrorists, arrest them or even kill them in a fire exchange then Norway doesn't have the right to arrest the killer of 89 of its citizens, UK doesn't have the right to arrest hundreds and try them, USA doesn't have the right to invade countries accusing them to be behind 9/11 like Afghanistan then Iraq.. and the list goes on.

Most Popular