News

More than 70 Syrian army commanders and officials have been named by former soldiers as having ordered attacks on unarmed protesters in that country, a US-based rights group says.

The report from Human Rights Watch names 74 commanders and military and intelligence officials as having allegedly "ordered, authorised, or condoned widespread killings, torture, and unlawful arrests" during the country's nine-month uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's government.

The group urged the United Nations Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and to impose sanctions against officials implicated in the report.

Those named should be investigated "for their command responsibility for crimes against humanity," the report said.

Senior officials mentioned include Imad Dawoud Rajiha, the country's defence minister; Imad Fahed al-Jasem el-Freij, the army chief of staff; and the heads of various intelligence agencies, Abdul Fatah Kudsiyeh, Jamil Hassan and Ali Mamlouk.

Syria's government has not yet responded to the report.

The report is based on more than 60 interviews conducted with defectors from the Syrian military and intelligence services. ... >>>