UNITED NATIONS – The United Nations human rights chief told an informal meeting of the Security Council on Monday that the Syrian government’s five-year siege of the Damascus suburbs of eastern Ghouta has involved “pervasive war crimes,” use of chemical weapons, and starvation as a weapon of war. The UN’s top human rights official dismissed it, saying: “When you are capable of torturing and indiscriminately killing your own people, you have long forfeited your own credibility.”Zeid pointed to eastern Ghouta as an example. He again urged the council to refer Syria to the International Criminal Court (ICC). Zeid also said justice and respect for human rights must be at the center of any peace talks. Longtime UN observers said it was exceedingly rare for a scheduled council meeting to be halted by a procedural vote.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer March 20, 2018 01:53 UTC