GENEVA: The United Nations’ top human rights official said on Friday that the siege and bombing of eastern Aleppo in Syria constituted “crimes of historic proportions” that have caused heavy civilian casualties amounting to war crimes.
The UN Human Rights Council later voted to launch an independent inquiry into events in Aleppo to identify and hold accountable anyone responsible for alleged violations.
Zeid Ra’ad al Hussein did not specifically name Russia, whose warplanes have carried out weeks of air strikes on the rebel-held part of Aleppo along with the Syrian air force, but his reference was clear.
“Armed opposition groups continue to fire mortars and other projectiles into civilian neighborhoods of western Aleppo, but indiscriminate airstrikes across the eastern part of the city by government forces and their allies are responsible for the overwhelming majority of civilian casualties,” Zeid said in a speech to a special session of the UN Human Rights Council.
Such violations constituted war crimes and if there was intent to commit them as part of a widespread or systematic attack against civilians, they would amount to crimes against humanity, he said.
Zeid called for major powers to put aside their differences and refer the situation to the International Criminal Court.
“The violations and abuses suffered by people across the country, including the siege and bombardment of eastern Aleppo, are simply not tragedies; they also constitute crimes of historic proportions,” he told the Geneva session by video link.
The Russian and Syrian ambassadors said that their forces were observing an 11-hour truce in Aleppo to allow evacuation of the wounded and for civilians to leave.
Britain’s junior Foreign Office minister Tobias Ellwood told reporters that the Russian pause was “being used simply for them to regroup and further their own stranglehold over Aleppo.”
Referring to the airstrikes, he said: “This is shameful and it is not the action or leadership that we expect from a P5 (permanent member of the UN Security Council) nation.”
Ted Allegra, deputy US ambassador, said the Russian and Syrian assault had killed 400 people, including 100 children.
“These shocking acts in Aleppo beg for an appropriate investigation and those who commit them must be held accountable,” he said.
Russian Ambassador Alexey Borodavkin accused Britain and its allies of “trying to save terrorists from being the target of strikes, allowing them to regroup and continue their barbaric acts.”
An 11-hour unilateral cease-fire in Aleppo was “allowing civilians and those fighters who lay down their weapons to leave” the city, Moscow’s envoy said.
Paulo Pinheiro, chairman of the UN commission of inquiry on Syria, said that the panel would continue to document war crimes in Aleppo and urged the government of President Bashar Assad to provide information on violations.
“Hospitals, markets, bakeries and water stations have all been targeted by airplanes flying overhead; many have been destroyed, amplifying the effect of the siege,” he said.
The UN said Friday that security concerns had forced it to delay planned evacuations from Aleppo, despite the truce that was largely holding.
The unilateral “humanitarian pause” was intended to allow civilians and rebels to leave.
But there was no sign that either civilians or rebels were heeding calls to depart, with Damascus and Moscow accusing opposition fighters of preventing evacuations.
The truce was initially described as lasting just 11 hours, but Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced late Thursday that it would be extended “by 24 hours,” leaving it unclear exactly when it would end.
“There has been no movement in the corridors in the eastern district. For the moment, we haven’t seen any movement of residents or fighters,” said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
On Thursday, UN humanitarian task force chief Jan Egeland said Russia, the Syrian government and rebels had given permission for medical evacuations.
But on Friday afternoon, a spokesman said the operation had been delayed because of security concerns.
“Medical evacuations of sick and injured could unfortunately not begin this morning as planned because the necessary conditions were not in place,” said Jens Laerke, spokesman for the United Nations humanitarian office.
No aid has entered Aleppo since July 7 and food rations will run out by the end of October, UN chief Ban Ki-moon warned on Thursday.
The UN has been criticized by the Syrian opposition for focusing more on enabling people to leave than providing relief supplies to allow them to stay.
A joint statement by the Syrian National Coalition and the Free Syrian Army said UN policy “plays into the Assad regime’s plans to empty Aleppo.”
It accused the world body of becoming a “tool in the hands of Russia.”
Aleppo siege, airstrikes war crimes, says UN rights boss
Aleppo siege, airstrikes war crimes, says UN rights boss
