UN condemns systematic violations of human rights in Syria

The United Nations Human Rights on Friday condemned systematic gross violations of human rights as well as violations of international humanitarian law and the involvement of foreign fighters in Syria's civil war, making an open reference to Hezbollah by mentioning the group's name in one of its resolutions. The resolution drafted by the United States, Britain, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Turkey was passed by a significant majority of the 47-member Human Rights Council membership with 37 votes in favor, nine abstentions and one member, Venezuela, against. The Council condemned Syria's systematic gross violations of human rights as well as violations of international humanitarian law in the strongest terms, the continued widespread and systematic violence by Syrian authorities and government-affiliated shabiha militias, as well as human rights abuses and violations of international law by all parties including anti-government armed groups. The Council condemned the intervention of all foreign combatants, including those fighting on behalf of the regime and most recently Hezbollah. The resolution indicated that the involvement of foreign forces in the conflict "further exacerbates the deteriorating human rights and humanitarian situation, which has a serious negative impact on the region." Friday's resolution condemned "in the strongest terms all massacres taking place in the Syrian Arab Republic and stresses the need to hold those responsible to account", as well as "all violence, especially against civilians, irrespective of where it comes from, including terrorist acts and acts of violence that may foment sectarian tensions." The council vote came a day after new figures from the United Nations showed that at least 93,000 people have been killed since the war erupted in March 2011 after protests against Syrian President Bashar Assad.