Report of Independent international commission of inquiry on Syrian Arab Republic

A-HRC-S-17-2-Add1.pdf (application/pdf Object)

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Summary
The deteriorating situation in the Syrian Arab Republic prompted the Human Rights
Council to establish an independent international commission of inquiry to investigate
alleged violations of human rights since March 2011. From the end of September until mid-
November 2011, the commission held meetings with Member States from all regional
groups, regional organizations, including the League of Arab States and the Organization of
Islamic Cooperation, non-governmental organizations, human rights defenders, journalists
and experts. It interviewed 223 victims and witnesses of alleged human rights violations,
including civilians and defectors from the military and the security forces. In the present
report, the commission documents patterns of summary execution, arbitrary arrest, enforced
disappearance, torture, including sexual violence, as well as violations of children’s rights.
The substantial body of evidence gathered by the commission indicates that these
gross violations of human rights have been committed by Syrian military and security
forces since the beginning of the protests in March 2011. The commission is gravely
concerned that crimes against humanity have been committed in different locations in the
Syrian Arab Republic during the period under review. It calls upon the Government of the
Syrian Arab Republic to put an immediate end to the ongoing gross human rights
violations, to initiate independent and impartial investigations of these violations and to
bring perpetrators to justice. The commission also addresses specific recommendations to
opposition groups, the Human Rights Council, regional organizations and States Members
of the United Nations.
The commission deeply regrets that, despite many requests, the Government failed
to engage in dialogue and to grant the commission access to the country. The Government
informed the commission that it would examine the possibility of cooperating with the
commission once the work of its own independent special legal commission was
completed. The commission reiterates its call for immediate and unhindered access to the
Syrian Arab Republic.
 The annexes to the present report are reproduced as received, in the language of submission only.
United Nations A/HRC/S-17/2/Add.1
General Assembly Distr.: General
23 November 2011
Original: English
A/HRC/S-17/2/Add.1
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Contents
Paragraphs Page
I. Introduction ............................................................................................................. 1–13 4
A. Establishment of the commission of inquiry. .................................................. 1–3 4
B. Mandate and terms of reference ...................................................................... 4–6 4
C. Methods of work ............................................................................................. 7–10 5
D. Cooperation of the Government...................................................................... 11–13 5
II. Context ................................................................................................................ 14–26 5
A. Political background ....................................................................................... 14–17 5
B. Military and security forces ............................................................................ 18–20 6
C. National legal framework ............................................................................... 21–22 7
D. International legal obligations ........................................................................ 23–26 7
III. Events and human rights violations since March 2011 ........................................... 27–83 8
A. Sequence of events ......................................................................................... 27–40 8
B. Excessive use of force and extrajudicial executions ....................................... 41–51 10
C. Arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, torture and other forms of ill-treatment ................................................................................................ 52–65 12
D. Sexual violence ............................................................................................... 66–68 14
E. Violations of children’s rights ........................................................................ 69–74 14
F. Displacement and restriction of movement .................................................... 75–79 15
G. Violations of economic and social rights ........................................................ 80–83 15
IV. Violations and crimes under applicable international law ....................................... 84–108 16
A. International human rights law ....................................................................... 84–96 16
B. International humanitarian law ....................................................................... 97–100 18
C. International criminal law ............................................................................... 101–108 18
V. Responsibility .......................................................................................................... 109–111 20
A. State responsibility .......................................................................................... 109–110 20
B. Individual responsibility for crimes against humanity .................................... 111 21
VI. Recommendations ................................................................................................... 112–116 21
Annexes
I. Terms of reference of the independent international commission of inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic ............................................................................................................ 24
II. Note verbale dated 29 September 2011 from the independent international commission of inquiry addressed to the Permanent Representative of the Syrian Arab Republic ....................... 26
III. Letter dated 12 October 2011 from the Permanent Representative of the Syrian Arab Republic addressed to the independent international commission of inquiry .................................................. 27
A/HRC/S-17/2/Add.1
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IV. Note verbale dated 19 October 2011 from the independent international commission of inquiry addressed to the Syrian Arab Republic ........................................................................................... 28
V. Letter dated 27 October 2011 from the independent international commission of inquiry addressed to the Syrian Arab Republic ........................................................................................... 29
VI. Note verbale dated 4 November 2011 from the independent international commission of inquiry addressed to the Syrian Arab Republic ........................................................................................... 34
VII. Note verbale dated 17 November 2011 from the Syrian Arab Republic addressed to the independent international commission of inquiry ............................................................................ 35
VIII. Map of the Syrian Arab Republic ..................................................................................................... 39

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