Monday, August 1, 2011

UN Security Council must take action over Syria bloodshed



Amnesty International

1 August 2011

"The UN Security Council must urgently respond to the ongoing crackdown in Syria by referring the situation to the International Criminal Court, Amnesty International said today, amid reports that security forces continued to shell the city of Hama, where dozens of people have now been killed.

The Security Council is expected to meet today to discuss the ongoing violence across Syria which saw two people reportedly killed in fresh violence in Hama today, while at least 52 people, including four children, were believed to have been killed there yesterday.

Elsewhere across Syria, people took to the streets today in massive protests against the latest killings.

The Syrian authorities have unleashed their deadliest assault yet on mainly peaceful protesters calling for reform,” said Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

It’s clear that President Bashar al-Assad is unwilling to halt his security forces, so the UN must take decisive action to stem this violent campaign of repression.”

“This should at the very least include imposing an arms embargo, freezing the assets of President al-Assad and other officials suspected of responsibility for crimes against humanity, and referring the situation to the ICC Prosecutor.”...."

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