The United Nations’s top human rights official has renewed pleas for both sides of the conflict in Syria to stop what could amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity. Navi Pillay, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, issued the appeal before the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay: “The use of heavy weapons by the government and the shelling of populated areas have resulted in high numbers of civilian casualties, mass displacement of civilians inside and outside the country, and a devastating humanitarian crisis. I am concerned that they may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. I am equally concerned about violations by anti-government forces, including murder, extrajudicial execution and torture, as well as the recently increased use of improvised explosive devices.”