United Nations investigators announced they are considering publishing the names of hundreds of suspected war criminals in Syria and recommended the establishment of an international ad hoc tribunal, as fighting in the country continues.
“It is unconscionable that Syrians should continue to suffer as they have for the last four years and have to live in a world where only limited attempts have been made to return Syria to peace, and to seek justice for the victims,” said Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, Chair of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic after briefing the UN Security Council on Friday.
Hundreds of names of suspected war criminals have previously been compiled on four lists, with a fifth being drawn up by investigators. Former UN rights chief Navi Pillay, said last year that "the evidence indicates responsibility at the highest level of government, including the head of state," suggesting the presence of high level government officials on the list.
"Not to publish names at this juncture of the investigation would be to reinforce the impunity that the Commission was mandated to combat," said the investigators in a report released on Friday.
Reports indicate that the names may be released at the upcoming UN Human Rights Council session in March.
Whilst the Commission of Inquiry has repeatedly called for Syria to be referred to the International Criminal Court, divisions at the UN Security Council has prevented this from happening. "It's absurd that the International Criminal Court does not have jurisdiction and is not investigating," Britain's UN Ambassador Mark Lyall-Grant said. The investigators thus recommended the establishment of an international ad hoc tribunal instead.
They also indicated they would be willing to share information with governments around the word that would be willing to prosecute Syrian war criminals under the principle of 'universal jurisdiction'.
Syria meanwhile brushed off the inquiry, with its UN Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari saying "all this propaganda aims at diabolising the Syrian government and misleading public opinion.”
“They did it in the past and they will do it in the future."
“It is unconscionable that Syrians should continue to suffer as they have for the last four years and have to live in a world where only limited attempts have been made to return Syria to peace, and to seek justice for the victims,” said Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, Chair of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic after briefing the UN Security Council on Friday.
Hundreds of names of suspected war criminals have previously been compiled on four lists, with a fifth being drawn up by investigators. Former UN rights chief Navi Pillay, said last year that "the evidence indicates responsibility at the highest level of government, including the head of state," suggesting the presence of high level government officials on the list.
"Not to publish names at this juncture of the investigation would be to reinforce the impunity that the Commission was mandated to combat," said the investigators in a report released on Friday.
Reports indicate that the names may be released at the upcoming UN Human Rights Council session in March.
Whilst the Commission of Inquiry has repeatedly called for Syria to be referred to the International Criminal Court, divisions at the UN Security Council has prevented this from happening. "It's absurd that the International Criminal Court does not have jurisdiction and is not investigating," Britain's UN Ambassador Mark Lyall-Grant said. The investigators thus recommended the establishment of an international ad hoc tribunal instead.
They also indicated they would be willing to share information with governments around the word that would be willing to prosecute Syrian war criminals under the principle of 'universal jurisdiction'.
Syria meanwhile brushed off the inquiry, with its UN Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari saying "all this propaganda aims at diabolising the Syrian government and misleading public opinion.”
“They did it in the past and they will do it in the future."