Mass deaths of detainees in Syrian government jails amounts to crime of 'extermination', UN report
Source: ABC Online (Australia)
Detainees held by the Syrian Government are dying on a massive scale amounting to a state policy of "extermination" of the civilian population, a United Nations investigation has found.
The report by the Commission of Inquiry on Syria says tens of thousands of detainees are held by the Government of President Bashar al-Assad at any one time, and thousands more have "disappeared" after arrest by state forces or gone missing after abduction by armed groups.
Through mass arrests and killing of civilians, including by starvation and untreated wounds and disease, state forces have "engaged in the multiple commissions of crimes, amounting to a systematic and widespread attack against a civilian population".
The report also says there are reasonable grounds to believe that "high-ranking officers", including the heads of branches and directorates commanding the detention facilities and military police, as well as their civilian superiors, knew of the deaths and of bodies buried anonymously in mass graves.
Read more: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-09/mass-deaths-in-syrian-jails-amount-to-crime-of-extermination/7150842
killing of detainees in official and makeshift detention centres – has taken place out of sight,
far from the battlefield. This paper examines the killing of detainees occurring between 10
March 2011 and 30 November 2015. Its findings are based on 621 interviews, as well as
considerable documentary material.
Detainees held by the Government were beaten to death, or died as a result of injuries
sustained due to torture. Others perished as a consequence of inhuman living conditions. The
Government has committed the crimes against humanity of extermination, murder, rape or
other forms of sexual violence, torture, imprisonment, enforced disappearance and other
inhuman acts. Based on the same conduct, war crimes have also been committed.
Some anti-Government armed groups established makeshift places of detention where
captured Government soldiers were ill treated, and executed. Others were summarily executed
following illicit trials. Some individuals taken hostage have died while held by armed groups.
Jabhat Al-Nusra has set up detention facilities in Idlib where deaths in detention were
documented. The terrorist group also conducted mass executions of captured Government
soldiers. Both Jabhat Al-Nusra and some anti-Government armed groups have committed the
war crimes of murder, cruel treatment, and torture.
ISIS subjected detainees to serious abuses, including torture and summary executions.
Detainees were frequently executed after unauthorised courts issued a death sentence. ISIS has
committed the crimes against humanity of murder and torture, and war crimes.
http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/CoISyria/A-HRC-31-CRP1_en.pdf
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