At its 15th session, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted the draft resolution submitted by Britain and other countries regarding the situation of human rights in Syria. It condemned the regime’s violations against the Syrian people and demanded to reveal the fate of the detainees and release them.
The draft resolution, sponsored by France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Qatar, Jordan, Kuwait, the United States, and the United Kingdom, was voted on by 25 States, with 16 abstentions. Six countries: Armenia, Bolivia, China, Cuba, Eritrea, and Venezuela, opposed the resolution.
The head of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria, Paulo Pinheiro, said the draft resolution calls on the Syrian regime to immediately release detainees and forcibly disappeared people in Syria, and to provide their families with accurate and correct information about their fate and whereabouts.
The Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations in Geneva, Simon Manley, said that the situation on the ground in Syria continues to deteriorate before our eyes. The widespread and systematic human rights violations continue, and the critical humanitarian situation is exacerbated by insecurity due to the Syrian regime and its supporters.
Manley explained that the draft resolution submitted to the Council focuses in particular on developments in Syria over the past six months. Attacks targeting civilians and infrastructure have killed innocent women and children, and deprived civilians of food, water, and basic necessities necessary to survive.
The UK’s representative to the Human Rights Council added that Syrian detainees “continue to face appalling conditions, ill-treatment and torture, while their families suffer from a different kind of torture, namely not knowing whether and when they will be able to see their loved ones again”.
Manley stressed that “the Human Rights Council cannot move away or remain silent when it comes to the Syrian regime’s blatant disregard for the rights and lives of its people.”
The British diplomat pointed out that the resolution in question condemns the deadly violence to which the Syrian people are subjected. He demands the unhindered delivery of necessary humanitarian aid and calls for more support for those who seek the fate of their loved ones.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
