GENEVA
The United Nations Human Rights Council has voted in favor of a resolution concerning the grave human rights situation in Syria and reaffirmed that terrorism, including the actions of Daesh, cannot and should not be associated with any religion, nationality or civilization.
The resolution was adopted by a vote of 29-6, with 12 abstentions, at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on Thursday.
The council said that the resolution reaffirmed its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria.
The resolution strongly condemned "the terrorist acts and violence committed against civilians by the so-called Daesh, al-Nusra Front and other extremist groups; [it] condemns in the strongest terms the violent extremist ideology professed by Daesh and its continued gross, systematic and widespread abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law, and reaffirms that terrorism, including the actions of the Daesh, cannot and should not be associated with any religion, nationality or civilization".
It condemned "the grave deterioration of the human rights situation and the indiscriminate or deliberate targeting of civilians as such, in violation of international humanitarian law, and acts of violence that foment sectarian tensions".
It also expressed full support for the diplomatic efforts on finding a political solution on the basis of the Geneva communique, including for the formation of a transitional governing body with full executive powers.
The resolution also strongly condemned "the continued gross systematic and widespread violations and abuses of human rights and all violations of international humanitarian law by the Syrian authorities and affiliated militias, including foreign terrorist fighters and those foreign organizations fighting on behalf of the Syrian authorities, in particular Hizbullah, Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq and Liwa’ Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas".
It also strongly condemned all arbitrary detention of individuals by the Syrian authorities and demanded the immediate release of all persons detained.
