SWITZERLAND: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Navi Pillay, condemns excessive use of violence used by Syrian government against unarmed protesters

Record ID: 278700

  • Title: SWITZERLAND: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Navi Pillay, condemns excessive use of violence used by Syrian government against unarmed protesters
  • Date: 16th June 2011
  • Summary: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (JUNE 15, 2011) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF THE UNITED NATIONS EUROPEAN HEADQUARTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) THE U.N. HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, NAVI PILLAY, SAYING: "The government has responded with excessive violence against unarmed protesters. I am gravely concerned about the human rights and humanitarian crises that the country is facing." UN DE
  • Embargoed: 1st July 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Switzerland, Switzerland
  • Country: Switzerland
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA4262JBJB0PS6Y5JTAFA43TANW
  • Story Text: Addressing the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva on Wednesday (June 15), Navi Pillay, said she was "gravely concerned" about the country's human rights crisis.
    The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees told the 47 member Council that the mounting civilian casualty rate was alarming, underscoring the Syrian government's lack of restraint in its efforts to crush dissent.
    "The mounting casualty rate among civilians is alarming. It underscores the Syrian Government's lack of restraint in its efforts to crush dissent. The number of those killed in incidents involving protests is believed to have exceeded 1,100 persons including women and children," she said.
    She said her office had received reliable information that up to 10,000 people had been detained and over 1,100 killed, most of them unarmed civilians. Pillay called on the Syrian government to "halt this assault on its own people, desist from using excessive force" and reminded it that perpetrators of human rights violations could be held accountable".
    "Once again I call upon the Syrian government to halt this assault on its own people, to desist from using excessive force and to respect its obligations under international human rights law. I remind the Syrian authorities that violations of international law are serious crimes for which perpetrators can be held accountable," she warned.
    Syria did not respond immediately to her statement.
    The US and European Union both condemned the ongoing repression in Syria and the use of killings, torture and arbitrary arrests.
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