UN General Assembly Condemns the Assad Regime’s Violations of Human Rights

The General Assembly voted on a non-binding resolution condemning violations of human rights in Syria. The draft resolution, adopted by 116 votes to 20, with 52 abstentions, was submitted by Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The states that voted against the resolution include China, Russia, Iran, Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Zimbabwe, while the abstainers include a number of Arab countries such as Algeria, Sudan, Yemen and Lebanon. Both Qatar and Saudi Arabia have ever put the draft resolution to a vote in the General Assembly. Alia Ahmed bin Saif al-Thani, Qatar’s permanent representative to the United Nations, that the draft resolution aimed at addressing the “serious violations” of human rights and international law in Syria “where the human rights situation continues to deteriorate”, stressing condemnation of indiscriminate killing and deliberate targeting of civilians as a violation of international humanitarian law. The resolution, she said expressed alarm over the escalation of violence in Syria and its victims including refugees and serious violations of human rights and international law, particularly the use of heavy weapons, air strikes and throwing explosive barrels and starving civilians by Syrian authorities. The draft resolution also addresses issues such as sexual violence, child abuse, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, torture, prevention of humanitarian assistance and the issue of the differentiation between civilian and military targets, as well as the issue of accountability for violations of international law committed in Syria, Alia added. She said the draft resolution highlighted the issue of extremism and terrorism where it denounced and condemned terrorist acts and all violations of international law by any party to the conflict, especially the Islamic State in Iraq, and Syria and militia fighting for the regime, terrorist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and other extremist groups. (Source: Al Quds Al-Arabi)