The U.N.’s top rights official, Navi Pillay, opened an emergency session on the crisis in Syria with a strong condemnation of the government’s increasingly violent attacks against its people. Pillay’s call for a stop to the killing received widespread support from delegates attending the special session of the U.N. Human Rights Council.
The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay told an overflow crowd that the situation in Syria has seriously deteriorated since February 13. That is when she appealed at the U.N. General Assembly for urgent action to protect the Syrian people from the violent government crackdown and rise in casualties.
“Since then, my office has received disturbing reports of a rapidly deteriorating human rights and humanitarian situation. Recent reports further indicate that Syrian military and security forces have launched massive campaigns of arrest, arbitrarily detaining thousands of protesters, as well as activists and others suspected of anti-government activities,” Pillay said.
Pillay called for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire to end the shelling and violence. She said the violations should be referred to the International Criminal Court.
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