The British government released a statement on Friday condemning “in the strongest possible terms all human rights violations that are taking place in Syria on a daily basis.”
“The UN Commission of Inquiry has released its latest report into human rights violations in Syria, after hundreds of hours of detailed investigations. Once again the Inquiry has found evidence of appalling human rights abuses and violations taking place in Syria, particularly those of the Syrian regime,” the statement said.
Commenting on the report, Foreign Office Minister Tobias Ellwood said that “this latest UN report describes appalling human rights violations in Syria. The Assad regime is responsible for abuses on a vast scale, with continued indiscriminate use of barrel bombs, artillery, chemical weapons and unlawful detention and torture.”
“ISIL and other extremist groups are brutal and inhumane, with abuses including multiple summary executions, the sexual slavery of Yazidi women and forced recruitment of child soldiers. The report makes clear that women and girls are regularly targeted by various sides to the conflict solely on the basis of their gender,” Ellwood.
“The UK condemns in the strongest possible terms all human rights violations that are taking place in Syria on a daily basis. We need to hold the perpetrators to account. And we need to see a political settlement to this conflict, ridding Syria of dictatorship, and to help to defeat the scourge of ISIL,” he added.
The Syrian Coalition renews calls on the UN Security Council to shoulder its responsibilities in maintaining security and peace in Syria, and to take immediate action to stop the crimes against humanity and violations and to ensure that criminals are held accountable.
The Syrian Coalition deplores the indifference of the international community which continues to deal with the blood of Syrians as a bargaining chip, a means to settle scores and exhaust opponents. (Source: Syrian Coalition + Agencies)
