Press Release

Syria: UN Human Rights Council must ensure those responsible for atrocities in Eastern Ghouta are held to account

March 3, 2018

A member of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), made up of an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters, looks at smoke rising in the al-Meshleb neighbourhood of Raqa as they try to advance further into the Islamic State (IS) group's Syrian bastion, on June 7, 2017 two days after finally entering the northern city. The SDF alliance began the battle for the city earlier this week after seven months of fighting to surround the key jihadist stronghold. / AFP PHOTO / DELIL SOULEIMAN (Photo credit should read DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Responding to the impending vote at the United Nations Human Rights Council on a resolution on the situation in Eastern Ghouta, Kevin Whelan, Senior Advocate at Amnesty International said:

“The international community must act now to end the war crimes in Eastern Ghouta. The catastrophic humanitarian situation will further deteriorate if parties to the conflict continue to violate international humanitarian law with impunity.

“It is imperative, for the sake of humanity, for the Human Rights Council to do all that is in its power to ensure that those responsible for the atrocity crimes committed in Eastern Ghouta are held to account for these horrific acts.

“The Syrian government must immediately provide UN independent monitors with access to Syria in order to investigate violations of international humanitarian law.”