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The UN human rights office (OHCHR) on Friday urged interim Syrian authorities to increase efforts to address “distressing accounts” of human rights violations targeting minority groups and individuals allegedly affiliated with the former Bashar al-Assad government. This statement comes ahead of the anniversary of the fall of the Assad regime.
OHCHR spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheethan said:
It also affected certain minority communities, such as Alawites, Druze, Christians, and Bedouins, with increasing hate speech, both online and offline, fuelling hatred against them.
Thameen claimed that interim-authority forces, their affiliates, Assad-regime affiliates, local militias, and unidentified armed actors carried out the killings. Other reported violations include sexual violence, arbitrary detention, destruction of homes, forced evictions, and confiscation of property.
The Israeli military operations have reportedly worsened the situation, with 350 airstrikes conducted across Syria in 2024. The strikes, which aimed at dismantling critical infrastructure and destroying weapons production sites, killed at least 36 civilians. In July, Israel also launched airstrikes on Syrian military targets in Damascus and Sweida to protect the Druze community following violent clashes between Druze militias and Bedouin tribes.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk further called on the authorities to address the root causes of these violations, emphasizing accountability, peace, and security as “absolute prerequisites for a successful transition.” He further urged the authorities to uphold victims’ rights to effective remedies.
Since the fall of the Assad regime in 2024, the interim government led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa has faced numerous accusations of human rights violations. These include the OHCHR’s report in November documenting the enforced disappearances of 97 people during the al-Sharaa administration. In October, a UN commission expressed concern over the “repeated massacres and human rights violations” allegedly committed by al-Sharaa’s security forces.
These reports contradict al-Sharaa’s public statement on delivering a democratic political transition and his promise to safeguard minority communities, enhancing religious tolerance.
The rising hate speech against minority groups raises questions about drawing a line between freedom of expression and hate speech. Article 20 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights specifically prohibits advocacy of racial or religious hatred that incites discrimination or violence. The UN Rabat Plan of Action additionally provides guidance on the difference between freedom of expression and “incitement.”
Meanwhile, an expert says that Syria’s long-term stability depends on “a new national identity rooted in equality and belonging rather than ethnic or religious supremacy.”
The post UN urges Syria to step up efforts against ongoing human rights abuses appeared first on JURIST - News.
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OHCHR spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheethan said:
Thameen highlighted the persisting human rights violations since the fall of the Assad regime, such as the arbitrary killings and abductions of individuals accused of affiliation with the Assad government.
It also affected certain minority communities, such as Alawites, Druze, Christians, and Bedouins, with increasing hate speech, both online and offline, fuelling hatred against them.
Thameen claimed that interim-authority forces, their affiliates, Assad-regime affiliates, local militias, and unidentified armed actors carried out the killings. Other reported violations include sexual violence, arbitrary detention, destruction of homes, forced evictions, and confiscation of property.
The Israeli military operations have reportedly worsened the situation, with 350 airstrikes conducted across Syria in 2024. The strikes, which aimed at dismantling critical infrastructure and destroying weapons production sites, killed at least 36 civilians. In July, Israel also launched airstrikes on Syrian military targets in Damascus and Sweida to protect the Druze community following violent clashes between Druze militias and Bedouin tribes.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk further called on the authorities to address the root causes of these violations, emphasizing accountability, peace, and security as “absolute prerequisites for a successful transition.” He further urged the authorities to uphold victims’ rights to effective remedies.
Since the fall of the Assad regime in 2024, the interim government led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa has faced numerous accusations of human rights violations. These include the OHCHR’s report in November documenting the enforced disappearances of 97 people during the al-Sharaa administration. In October, a UN commission expressed concern over the “repeated massacres and human rights violations” allegedly committed by al-Sharaa’s security forces.
These reports contradict al-Sharaa’s public statement on delivering a democratic political transition and his promise to safeguard minority communities, enhancing religious tolerance.
The rising hate speech against minority groups raises questions about drawing a line between freedom of expression and hate speech. Article 20 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights specifically prohibits advocacy of racial or religious hatred that incites discrimination or violence. The UN Rabat Plan of Action additionally provides guidance on the difference between freedom of expression and “incitement.”
Meanwhile, an expert says that Syria’s long-term stability depends on “a new national identity rooted in equality and belonging rather than ethnic or religious supremacy.”
The post UN urges Syria to step up efforts against ongoing human rights abuses appeared first on JURIST - News.
Continue reading...
Note: We don't have any responsibilities about this news. Its been posted here by Feed Reader and we had no controls and checking on it. And because News posted here will be deleted automatically after 21 days, threads are closed so that no one spend time to post and discuss here. You can always check the source and discuss in their site.