UN: Prosecution of war criminals in Syria should begin immediately

The United Nations war crimes investigators on Syria said yesterday that prosecutions against war criminals in the country should not wait until the end of the conflict which is now entering its sixth year.

The UN Commission of Inquiry, which has documented violations committed by all sides, has compiled a list of suspects, which it has kept confidential.

The commission has begun providing judicial assistance abroad in some cases.

Paulo Pinheiro, head of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria told the UN Human Rights Council that “the adoption of measures that lay the ground for accountability need not and should not wait for a final peace agreement to be reached.”

“Criminal justice is essential but currently the only justice referred is through national courts of member states. We will continue to call for referral to the International Criminal Court or an ad hoc tribunal,” Pinheiro said.

Pinheiro urged Syrian parties involved in the Geneva peace talks to agree on confidence-building measures, including the immediate and unconditional release of all arbitrarily detained prisoners and to establish a mechanism to trace the missing.