FRANCE: Reporters Without Borders says the international community must urgently step up pressure on Syria to allow independent observers to establish the truth about the acts of violence in the country

Record ID: 279508

  • Title: FRANCE: Reporters Without Borders says the international community must urgently step up pressure on Syria to allow independent observers to establish the truth about the acts of violence in the country
  • Date: 19th August 2011
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (AUGUST 18, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PRESS FREEDOM ORGANISATION REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS OFFICES VARIOUS OF MAP SHOWING SYRIA REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS (RSF) CHIEF EDITOR GILLES LORDET WORKING ON COMPUTER
  • Embargoed: 3rd September 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France, France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA5RPMMQVICLS53P3G2HBW5VTH3
  • Story Text: The press freedom organisation Reporters Without Borders urged the international community on Thursday (August 18) to step up pressure on Syria to allow independent observers into the country after United Nations human rights investigators said Assad's forces had carried out systematic attacks on civilians.
    RSF said in Paris that the UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay needed to call on the UN Security Council for the creation of an international criminal tribunal to examine what they call Syria's "grave violations of international humanitarian law".
    The organization urged the international community to keep up the pressure on the Syrian regime and President Bashar Al-Assad, and say they have little confidence in Al-Assad's claims.
    "We are taking advantage of this meeting today between the UN Human Rights High Commissioner and the UN Security Council to ask the international community to reinforce its pressure against Syria, and that there be a joint and unanimous position to condemn the violence perpetrated by the regime and to support the movement of democracy which has been going on since March," RSF chief editor Gilles Lordet said.
    The organization also stresses the primordial role that journalists, both local and foreign, play in producing independently reported news and information about the events in Syria, especially the serious human rights violations, and say this is impossible in Syria right now.
    "We are calling for the respect of international laws, for the respect of human dignity, freedom of speech and of the freedom of the press. Since the start of the demonstrations in Syria last February no journalist has been able to do their job, foreign correspondents are thrown out by the Syrian authorities, Syrian journalists can't report, they simply can't do their job and for many weeks now, the only information coming out of Syria is being provided by the Syrian citizens themselves, by the demonstrators through new technology," Lordet added.
    United Nations human rights investigators said Assad's forces had carried out systematic attacks on civilians, often firing at short range and without warning and committing violations that may amount to crimes against humanity.
    In a telephone call with Assad on Wednesday U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon joined a chorus of condemnation, expressing alarm at reports of widespread violations of human rights and excessive use of force by security forces against civilians.
    The United States and European Union called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down on Thursday after a five-month crackdown on protests in which U.N. investigators said troops used an apparent "shoot-to-kill policy" and widespread torture.
    While N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Assad had assured him that military operations were over, activists said Syrian forces had carried out raids in Deir al-Zor and surrounded a mosque in Latakia on Thursday.
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