AOHR Condemns Killing of Peaceful Protestors in Syria and Arrest of Human Rights Defenders

Cairo 26 April 2011   The Arab Organization for Human Rights (AOHR) is following with much concern the escalated repression of unarmed protesters by Syrian security authorities, which began last Friday and have continued until yesterday.
As a result, at least 176 persons have been killed by live ammunition.
The deployment of armored Republican Guards in the vicinity of the city of Der’a and the unofficial report about them arbitrarily firing at protestors exacerbates the AOHR concerns.
As a result of this, dozens of persons were killed and injured.
This conduct represents state terrorism that should be confronted without delay.
The arrest of political and human rights activists in various governorates in Syria in violation of the decision by the government to end the state of emergency has also increased the AOHR concerns.
The AOHR views these crimes as blatant and systematic violations of human rights that require swift action to prevent further crimes in the future and ensure that those who committed these crimes are brought to justice.
The AOHR calls on the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) to promptly intervene to confront these grave violations of human rights.
The AOHR also calls on the UN HRC to hold a special emergency session to examine these crimes.
The AOHR recommends creating and dispatching an international investigative committee to investigate these crimes with a view to achieve justice, ensure redress for the victims, and bring perpetrators of criminal conduct to justice.
* * * For more information please contact: AlaaShalaby Executive Director – Member, Board of Trustees Arab Organization for Human Rights (AOHR) 91 Merghani St.
, Heliopolis, Cairo 11341 Egypt Tel +202 24181396 Fax +202 24185346 Mobile +2 010 6488987 Ala.
shalaby@hotmail.
com – Aladinchalabi@yahoo.
com www.
aohr.
net