UN human rights chief urges Security Council to act over Syria | World | Deutsche Welle | 13.12.2011

UN human rights chief urges Security Council to act over Syria | World | Deutsche Welle | 13.12.2011

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United Nations human rights chief Navi Pillay appealed to members of the Security Council on Monday to ensure crimes against humanity in Syria could be punished by referring the situation to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Pillay told the meeting that the death toll in the country now exceeds 5,000 - not including the Syrian security forces - a sharp increase from approximately 4,000 in the past 10 days.

"Inaction by the international community will embolden Syrian authorities and ensure perpetrators go unpunished," said Pillay. "The need for international criminal accountability has acquired even greater urgency."

Syria is not a signatory to the International Criminal Court statute, so action against it would have to be referred by the Security Council. Damascus says more than 1,000 police officers and soldiers have died in the fighting.

The UN Security CouncilThe Security Council is split on whether to back a resolution While Western members have called for the body to condemn the violence, others such as Brazil, China, India, Russia and South Africa have expressed reservations, fearing that such a resolution could be used to press a case for military action.

Speaking after the meeting, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle expressed shock about the worsening situation in Syria.

"I think it is necessary that those countries in the Security Council that are still hesitating change their mind," said Westerwelle.

"We owe this to those who have lost their lives."

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