(New York, March 29, 2012) – The League of Arab States should at its summit in Baghdad that began on March 27, 2012, commit to carrying out and monitoring the implementation of the targeted sanctions against the Syrian leadership it agreed to in November 2011, Human Rights Watch said today.
Fears for Turkish journalists in Syria
27 March 2012
Turkish journalists Adem Ozkose and Hamit Coskun went missing while reporting on current events in northern Syria . They were in Syria, close to the Turkish border , on 10 March when they last made contact with colleagues. It is believed that they have been subject ed to enforced disappearance, put ting them at risk of torture and ill-treatment.
Local Residents Used as Human Shields, Reports of Residents Forced to March in Front of Soldiers in Idlib
March 25, 2012
(Antakya, Turkey) – Syrian government forces have endangered local residents by forcing them to march in front of the army during recent arrest operations, troop movements, and attacks on towns and villages in northern Syria, Human Rights Watch said today.
Annan mission should report on human rights violations and abuses
Amnesty International – 23 March 2012
Any UN mission to supervise an end to armed violence in Syria must include as part of its work the monitoring and reporting of human rights violations and abuses, including crimes against humanity, Amnesty International said today.
Russia: Selective Use of Syria Findings
March 23, 2012
(New York) – Human Rights Watch issued the following statement on March 23, 2012, concerning the Russian Foreign Ministry’s use of a Human Rights Watch statement to support a one-sided position on Syria:
Government Uses Homs Tactics on Border Town, Indiscriminate Shelling, Sniper Killings, Attacks on Fleeing Residents
(New York, March 22, 2012) – Syrian security forces are committing serious abuses in their military campaign on al-Qusayr, a city of approximately 40,000 in Homs governorate near the Lebanese border, Human Rights Watch said today. Witnesses describe heavy shelling of residential neighborhoods, snipers shooting residents on the streets, and attacks on fleeing residents.
Two men released, fate of others unknown
22 March 2012, Amnesty International
Muhammad Yassin Al Hamwi and Shaker al-Masri have been released . They had been detained incommunicado since their arrest on 23 September 2011. Muhammad Muhammad Al Hamwi and Ahmad Kuraitem , also arrested the same day , and Abd al-Akram al-Sakka, held since 15 July, remain subjected to enforced disappearance.
Fears for Syrian human rights lawyer: Abdullah al-Khalil
22 March 2012
Amnesty International
Human rights lawyer Abdullah al-Khalil is being held in incommunicado detention at an unknown location where he is at risk of torture and other ill-treatment. He has not been seen since he was arrested on a street in al-Raqqa, eastern Syria, on 3 February. Abdullah al-Khalil, who is 50 years old, is a well-known lawyer who represents political prisoners and prisoners of conscience.
Incommunicado detention of Mr. Saleh Shameya
21 March 2012
The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources about the arbitrary arrest of Mr. Saleh Shameya, a prominent lawyer, member of the board and head of the legal department of the National Human Rights Organisation-Syria (NOHR-S) in Idleb. Mr. Shameya has been involved in assisting victims of human rights violations, working on penal reform and strongly denouncing conditions of detention in Syria.
Syria-Arrest and ongoing incommunicado detention of human rights defenders Mr Salah Shamiyya and Mr Rudy Uthman
20 March 2012
On 15 and 17 March 2012, human rights defenders Mr Rudy Uthman and Mr Salah Shamiyya were arrested. Rudy Uthman is a journalist and human rights activist. Salah Shamiyya is a prominent lawyer and member of the management board of the National Human Rights Organisation and head of its legal office.