Immediate international response required to address systematic torture and killing in Syria

The conflict in Syria has become a civil war. Civilians, including young children, are systematically being subjected to extrajudicial killings, torture and simply massacred in Syria.

These are the conclusions of two reports released this week from the United Nations and Amnesty International, respectively.

”The international community needs to take a strong, firm course of action to cease these deplorable acts,” says IRCT Secretary-General Brita Sydhoff. ”The conclusions from these reports point to systematic and merciless attacks against the civilian population through killings, targeted shelling and torture in its most horrific and brutal form.”

The UN has declared that the Syria conflict amounts to a civil war. UN investigators found that regime forces subjected children to torture, sexual abuse, and would use children as human shields. An estimated 1,200 children have died in the 15-month conflict.

Regime forces were furthermore engaged in short, violent and brutal assaults on towns in the northern part of Syria who were believed to be sympathetic to the rebel forces, according to Amnesty International researchers. The documented grave crimes require decisive international action, the human rights organisation said.

“We echo others in the call for an immediate international response to the deepening crisis. These horrendous acts can simply not continue,” Sydhoff said.