UN Human Rights Council Blasts Syrian Crackdown on Protesters

The human rights arm of the United Nations has officially passed a resolution condemning the brutal crackdown in Syria against anti-government protesters by the security forces of President Bashar al-Assad and also called on Damascus to cease the violence as stipulated by the Arab League.

The UN committee strongly condemns the continued grave and systematic human rights violations by the Syrian authorities, such as arbitrary executions, excessive use of force and the persecution and killing of protesters and human rights defenders.

The assembly also blasted Syria for “arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, torture and ill treatment of detainees, including children.

The international community can no longer remain silent, said Mark Lyall Grant, the British ambassador to the U.N., according to the Wall Street Journal.

However, the statement makes no mention of sanctions.

The resolution received 122 supporting votes, 13 against and 41 abstentions (including Russia and China).

Arab nations that voted in favor of the resolution included Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Qatar and Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

The resolution, which was drafted by Britain, France and Germany, has no legal applications. However, there are hopes the topic will be brought to the UN Security Council.

Bashar Ja'afari, the Syrian ambassador to the U.N., charged that the resolution's co-sponsors (which includes several prominent Arab states) of supporting the “armed gangs” seeking to overthrow the Assad regime.

He also accused the European powers of having declared a “diplomatic war on Syria.”

The UN estimates that at least 3,500 people have died in Syria since the revolt erupted eight month ago, with no end in sight to the unrest as Assad has adamantly refused to step down from power or accede to wishes for democratic reforms.

Meanwhile, regional powers are raising the outcry against Assad, Former ally, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish Prime Minister, explicitly called on the Syrian president to resign. Earlier, King Abdullah of Jordan became the first Arab leader to demand Assad hand over power.