A rights group said that 8,736 civilians, including 1,984 children and 1,237 women, were killed at the hands of regime forces in 2016. Around 447 more were killed under torture. Women and children accounted for nearly 37% of the total number of victims.
According to a report by the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR), at least 7,543 people were detained by the Assad regime in 2016. The detainees included 251 children and 448 women.
The report, which tracked violations by all warring parties in Syria throughout 2016, noted that around 3,967 civilians, including 1,042 children and 684 women, were killed in airstrikes by Russian forces in 2016.
Militias of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) were responsible for many violations in the areas under their control, the rights group added. These violations included extrajudicial executions, detention, torture, and forced recruitment. Nearly 146 civilians, including 24 children and 23 women, were killed in violations by the PYD in 2016. At least 673 people, including 55 children and 33 women, were detained by the PYD militia. Moreover, six people were killed under torture in PYD prisons in 2016.
At least 1,510 civilians, including 258 children and 213 women, were killed in executions, indiscriminate bombing, and torture by the ISIS extremist group in 2016. ISIS also detained 1,419 people, including 103 children and 50 women, in 2016. Eight people were killed under torture in ISIS prisons in 2016.
The SNHR recorded 14 chemical attacks by regime forces and one by ISIS in 2016. It also recorded 171 attacks using cluster munitions, including 148 by Russian forces and 22 by Assad regime forces.
Around 112 members of the medical staff were affected in attacks in 2016; 40 of whom were the target of attacks by regime forces. In addition, 86 media activists and journalists were attacked in 2016; 52 of whom by regime forces and their Russian allies.
The report put forward a set of recommendations that included calling on the UN Security Council to enforce its resolutions on Syria and to implement the Geneva Communique of 2012. The SNHR stressed the need to ensure that civilians are spared the bombardment; sieges are lifted; political prisoners are released; and the use of chemical weapons is stopped.
The SNHR urged the UN to protect civilians from daily violations against them; 92% of which were committed by regime forces. It also called upon the UN Security Council to urgently refer the situation in Syria to the international Criminal Court. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Office + Agencies)
