‘Day of anger’ against Russia today in Syria
Demonstrations are planned to protest against Russia’s decision to stop UN sanctions against the Assad regime. According to Russian President Medvedev, any punitive actions should be applied also to the opposition for refusing talks with the government. The United Nations yesterday set up a commission of inquiry to investigate human rights violations in Syria.
Damascus (AsiaNews) – Pro-democracy activists in Syria have called for a "day of anger" against Russia, which has blocked United Nations sanctions against Damascus. "Do not support the killers. Do not kill the Syrians with your position" in favour of the regime, the activists told Russia in a posting on The Syrian Revolution 2011, a Facebook page that has been the engine for anti-Assad revolt.
For his part, speaking with visiting British Prime Minister David Cameron, President Dmitry Medvedev said it would be a mistake to put more pressure on Syria's regime for its crackdown on the opposition. The proposed “ resolution must be strict, but it must not lead to the automatic application of sanctions," he argued.
Last week, the Russian leader described some of those protesting against Assad as "terrorists”. In his view, any punitive actions must be applied equally to both sides of the Syria conflict because the opposition was rejecting calls to engage Assad in direct talks.
At the United Nations, a commission of inquiry made up of three international experts has been tasked with investigating human rights violations in Syria since the start of the anti-Assad uprising.
For United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, about 2,600 people have been killed in Syria since protests broke out. Syrian authorities reject that number. For Syrian presidential media adviser Bouthaina Shaaban, only 1,400 people have died, evenly split between the military and the “rebels”.
To these must be added at least 20 more people who died yesterday in attacks carried out by Syrian security forces.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 17 people were killed in Hama, where Assad forces are trying to capture the city’s attorney general, Adnan Bakkour, who defected to the opposition last week.
A 12-year-old boy also died in Douma, and two others were killed in Homs.
For his part, speaking with visiting British Prime Minister David Cameron, President Dmitry Medvedev said it would be a mistake to put more pressure on Syria's regime for its crackdown on the opposition. The proposed “ resolution must be strict, but it must not lead to the automatic application of sanctions," he argued.
Last week, the Russian leader described some of those protesting against Assad as "terrorists”. In his view, any punitive actions must be applied equally to both sides of the Syria conflict because the opposition was rejecting calls to engage Assad in direct talks.
At the United Nations, a commission of inquiry made up of three international experts has been tasked with investigating human rights violations in Syria since the start of the anti-Assad uprising.
For United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, about 2,600 people have been killed in Syria since protests broke out. Syrian authorities reject that number. For Syrian presidential media adviser Bouthaina Shaaban, only 1,400 people have died, evenly split between the military and the “rebels”.
To these must be added at least 20 more people who died yesterday in attacks carried out by Syrian security forces.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 17 people were killed in Hama, where Assad forces are trying to capture the city’s attorney general, Adnan Bakkour, who defected to the opposition last week.
A 12-year-old boy also died in Douma, and two others were killed in Homs.
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