GENEVA
The head of the United Nations Commission on Syrian war crimes on Tuesday blamed the U.N. Security Council's inaction on Syria for the rise of ISIL.
Speaking at the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva on Tuesday, Paulo Pinheiro, the head of the Commission of Inquiry on Syria, said "Once again, I am left with no choice but to describe a war which worsens every day. I have run out of words to depict the gravity of the crimes committed inside Syria."
Pointing out world silence on Syria in U.N. Human Rights Council, Pinheiro said "I cannot bring myself to repeat the statistics of this war. I no longer have faith that enumerating the thousands of dead and displaced will provoke you to act. Read instead the stories of the victims."
About ISIL, operating in Syria, Pinheiro said the group has continued to brutally and publicly execute civilians, as well as captured rebel fighters and government soldiers.
Pinheiro said the commission had asked the UN Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court, Pinheiro said "We have been faced with inaction. This inaction has allowed the warring parties to operate with impunity and nourished the violence that has consumed Syria. Its most recent beneficiary is ISIL."
- Preserving civilian life during military action on ISIL
Noting the importance of preventing civilian casualities in the fighting against ISIL, Pinheiro said "As military action on ISIL positions seems increasingly likely, we remind all parties that they must abide by the laws of war and most particularly, the principles of distinction and proportionality. Serious efforts must be made to preserve civilian life."
- "Syrian government remains responsible"
Indicating that ISIL and the anti-government armed groups are not the sole agents of death and destruction inside Syria, Pinheiro said "Syrian government remains responsible for the majority of the civilian casualties."
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