2011-08-24 16:19

GENEVA - The UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday ordered an independent investigation into the human rights situation in the unrest-torn country.

According to a resolution adopted by a large majority of votes, the council would task an independent international commission of inquiry in investigate alleged human rights violations in Syria since March this year, including possible crimes against humanity.

Chaired by the Ambassador of Uruguay, Laura Dupuy Lasserre, the council strongly condemned "the continued grave and systematic human rights violations by the Syrian authorities, such as arbitrary executions, excessive use of force and the killing and persecution of protesters and human rights defenders, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, torture and ill-treatment of detainees, also of children."

Just before the vote, Syrian Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva Faysal Khabbaz Hamoui criticized the resolution for being 100 percent political and not balanced.

Monday, during the first part of the 17th Session, Syria has been widely condemned for the bloody repression of protests against President Bashar al Assad regime.

According to High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, "over 2,200 people have been killed since mass protests began in mid-March, with more than 350 people reportedly killed across Syria since the beginning of Ramadan."

The high commissioner urged the UN Security Council to consider referring the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court.

This is the second UN Human Rights Council Special Session held on Syria issues this year. The first was convened on April 29.

The council will hold its next regular session from September 12 to 30.