GENEVA (Sputnik) — The international community should prosecute or extradite those responsible for war crimes in Syria, UN's Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic said in a report Monday.
"Comply with the obligation under international humanitarian law to prosecute or extradite persons suspected of war crimes and present on their territory, including, when applicable, under the principle of universal jurisdiction," the commission recommends in its report.
The commission also urges countries to consider sanctioning those "reasonably suspected" of crimes such as torture and custodial deaths in Syria.
UN Commission Calls on Security Council to Sanction Persons Responsible for Syria Crimes
UN's Commission of Inquiry on Syria recommended Monday that the United Nations Security Council introduces sanctions against those responsible for custodial deaths and torture in Syria, and refers such cases to the International Criminal Court (IOC).
The Security Council should also "ensure the enforcement of accountability by referring the situation to the International Criminal Court or other judicial mechanisms," the report reads.
"As the conflict in Syria approaches in sixth year, at least a quarter of a million people have lost their lives. Throughout the whole conflict, countless numbers of persons, most civilian men, have been detained and subjected to abuses by all parties to the conflict. I repeat, by all parties to the conflict. Many of these detainees have died while in custody," the commission's head Paulo Pinheiro told reporters while presenting a report on the issue.
Syria has been mired in a civil war since 2011, with the country's government fighting against multiple opposition factions and extremist groups.
The prolonged conflict has triggered a massive humanitarian crisis. According to the UN refugee agency, 13.5 million Syrians are in need of humanitarian assistance, while about 4.6 million people fled the country due to poverty and violence.
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic was established in August 2011 by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate all alleged violations of international human rights law during the ongoing civil war.
