UN report alleges crimes against humanity in Syria

A UN report has concluded that crimes against humanity have been committed in Syrian forces and called for a full independent investigation, as violence against pro-democracy protestors continues in the country.

Released on Monday the report says,

"The commission is gravely concerned that crimes against humanity have been committed in different locations."

"These crimes include murder, torture, rape and other forms of sexual violence of comparable gravity, imprisonment or other severe deprivation of liberty.”

Torture by Syrian forces was described as “rampant”, with the commission saying it was

"particularly disturbed over the extensive reports of sexual violence, principally against men and boys, in places of detention".

The UN went on to recommend a "prompt, independent and impartial investigations under both domestic and international law to end impunity, ensure accountability and bring perpetrators to justice."

See Al Jazeera's interview with UN commission member Yakin Erturk below.

The release of the report comes as the Arab League imposed sanctions on Syria, a move that Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Mouallem described as a declaration of “economic war”, noting that Syria had already withdrawn 95% of its assets from Arab countries.

The 39-page report examines violence from the end of September until mid-November 2011 and is officially known as the “Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic”. It was carried out by a three-member independent panel, headed by Paulo Pinheiro, a Brazilian human rights expert. They were all denied access to Syria to carry out their investigation.

Based on 223 victim and witness statements, the report alleges that,

"The sheer scale and consistent pattern of attacks by military and security forces on civilians and civilian neighbourhoods and the widespread destruction of property could only be possible with the approval or complicity of the state".

"The commission therefore believes that orders to shoot and otherwise mistreat civilians originated from policies and directives issued at the highest levels of the armed forces and the government".

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said in a statement,

"The international community must act. More than ever it has a duty to stop the suffering of the civilian population.”

While President Assad’s regime continues to allege “terrorists” are responsible for the violence in the country, the UN report states,

"In the Syrian Arab Republic, the high toll of dead and injured is the result of the excessive use of force by state forces in many regions".

It acknowledged "isolated instances" of violence by demonstrators and defectors, but said the "majority of civilians were killed in the context of peaceful demonstrations".

Nadim Houry, director of the Beirut office of Human Rights Watch said that Syria is now being pushed into a “very dangerous vortex” and commented,

“What is driving the violence in Syria now is that the authorities still believe that there is a military option to crush the protesters”.

Peter Harling, of the International Crisis Group, also commented on the report, saying that he felt this would not stop the regime’s use of violence.

“The regime is facing huge international pressure. The West has more or less unanimously turned against it, it has no support from the Arab countries or the Arab streets and still it shows no sign of compromise.”

 “It has passed the point of compromise.”