Pax Christi International on Human Rights Violations in
Syria
Written Statement addressed to the Human Rights Council
30 May – 17 June 2011
17th Session – Item 3
Pax Christi, the international Catholic peace movement, with
more than 100 member organisations active worldwide; is contacting the Human
Rights Council to raise deep concern about the situation of peaceful activists
in Syria. Pax Christi International has member organisations as well as active
working relationships with groups in the region and has addressed the UN and
the Human Rights Council on several occasions concerning the situation in the
Middle East.
Pax Christi International expresses deep concern over the
severe repression by the Syrian government of the peaceful protests that
started on 15 March 2011 demanding the release of political prisoners, then
continued to spread from the southern city of Daraa to all parts of the
country. Tens of thousands have taken to the streets in scores of cities and
towns across the country calling for freedom, with the largest protests in
Homs, Banias, Daraa and Damascus suburbs like Douma and Mouadhamiyyeh. Mass
shootings of peaceful marchers have occurred every few days since then.
Syria has for years been suffering from chronic and
systematic violations of civil and political rights by the State. Many
political opposition- and pro-democracy-activists in Syria face arbitrary
arrest, administrative detention, unfair trials, torture and ill treatment as
well as other human rights violations due to the curtailing of actual freedom
of expression, association, and movement as well as emergency laws. Many of
these violations continue, despite the fact that the emergency situation was
officially lifted last month.
Use of lethal force against peaceful protesters
Amnesty International has compiled the names of 580
protesters and others killed since mid-March ; the injuries in head and chest
of those killed point at a shoot-to-kill policy. On Good Friday 22 April,
Syrian security forces killed at least 120 people. Subsequently, international
human rights organisations stated that president Bashar al-Assad and other
members of the regime should be held accountable and that the case should be
transferred to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.
Collective punishment
The Government of Syria responded to the protestors’ calls
for freedom in massive brutality and oppression. On March 23, security forces
opened fire on crowds in Daraa and enforced a siege since the 25 April. Since
then Deraa was cut off from electricity, phone and water for two weeks, after
troops and tanks attacked the city to restore government control. Similarly; military actions were taken
against Homs, Douma, Harasta, Mouadhamiyyeh and the town of Banias. Security
forces were reported to have moved into the central city of Homs , where troops
backed by tanks have been raiding houses and arresting people since Saturday
May 7th night.
Security forces are continuing their efforts to crush
anti-government protests through collective punishment measures of city
closures, water, electricity and communication lines cut off, food and medical
supplies blockage from entering the besieged cities and towns. According to
Amnesty International, “The Syrian authorities are tightening the vice on residents
of cities around Syria, punishing whole populations in their attempt to stamp
out opposition”.
Mass arrests
Pax Christi International would also like to draw the HRC’s
attention to the situation of deliberate and systematic mass arrests, arbitrary
and incommunicado detentions and enforced disappearances of people who are
suspected of having taken part in the protest movement. The Syrian security
forces are leading a crackdown against bloggers, journalists, political
activists, human rights activists and physicians .
According to human rights organisation Insan, since
mid-March nearly 8,000 people have been detained, of whom several hundred have
disappeared. Allegations of torture
practices have been widely reported by various International human rights
organizations as well as activists and bloggers .
Independent media blocked
Since the protests started, Syrian authorities have denied
access to independent media. A number of journalists have been arrested,
including Al-Jazeera’s Dorothy Parvaz. Others were told to leave the country
upon ending of their visas. This has led to a total media blackout. The only
information coming out comes from the official media or from human rights- and
opposition activists. Because of the mass arrests and repression- including
cutting of phone lines and internet connections and arresting those who have
satellite phones- it becomes harder and harder to verify and distribute
information for these activists.
Lack of cooperation with UN
The establishment of the fact-finding mission by the Human
Rights Council was an important step. However, the Syrian government blocked
the fact finding mission established by the Human Rights Council’s 29 April
resolution access to Deraa on 9 May. It also declined access to a UN mission
carrying food and medical supplies to the besieged Daraa on May 10 and 11.
Recommendations
In light of these facts, Pax Christi International
underlines the importance of the work of the UN Human Rights Council and calls
on its members to take the following measures:
• Urge the
Syrian authorities to put an immediate stop to the oppression and military
operations against peaceful protestors;
• Call for
the immediate and unconditional release of all who were arbitrarily detained
during the protests and of all prisoners of conscience;
• Urge the
Syrian authorities to ensure freedom of movement and of operations of UN
agencies in all Syria;
• Demand
that Syrian authorities cooperate with the fact-finding mission established by
the Human Rights Council’s 29 April resolution, and to guarantee full and free
access to all the locations;
• Urge the
Syrian authorities to reform legislation, so as to meet international human
rights standards, including incorporating human rights treaties in the national
laws, and strengthen law enforcement and the rule of law;
• Establish
a United Nations investigation into allegations of crimes against humanity
• Mandate a
temporary UN Human Rights Observers mission in Syria;
• Mandate
the Special Rapporteurs for Human Rights Defenders and for Torture, and later
also other Special Rapporteurs such as the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of
Association, to visit and report on the situation in Syria, and that the Syrian
authorities fully cooperate with them and facilitate the visit;
• Mandate
the Committee on Torture to look specifically into the issue of systematic
torture during these protests;
• Urge
Syrian authorities allowing access by the international media.
2011-0269-en-me-HR