EU Council tightens restrictive measures on Syria

Brussels, 23 January 2012
5537/12
PRESSE 14
Council tightens restrictive measures on Syria
In response to the unacceptable repression by the Syrian regime on the Syrian people, the Council today reinforced the EU’s restrictive measures against those responsible for the human rights violations. The Council added 22 persons responsible for human rights violations and eight entities financially supporting the regime to the list of those subject to an asset freeze and a ban from entering the EU. Read more

HRW:Letter to the Arab League Secretary-General Regarding the Monitoring Mission in Syria

H.E. Mr. Nabil El Araby

Secretary-General

The League of Arab States

Secretariat – Tahrir Square

Cairo, Egypt

 

Dear Secretary-General,

We write to you in advance of this week’s meeting of the Arab Foreign Ministers Council on January 22 where Ministers will be reviewing the report of the Arab League monitoring mission to Syria and assessing the League’s next steps to put an end to the crisis in Syria. Read more

The Rise of The Kurds – the moment I embraced the essence of my nation, I breathed

Like many Kurdish people in Syria, I lived between two worlds and was treated as a second-class citizen. My family was one of many families going through a transitional phase between Kurdish ethnicity and endeavors to melt us into another ethnicity. Both Syrian society and government pushed us to integrate with the majority in Syria, but without fully accepting us.

As a young girl I was in school I used to omit the last letter in my surname so I would not be exposed to mockery. It was hard for me to be Kurdish. Many Kurd-haters wanted to obliterate everything that makes me a Kurd. As I became a young woman, those who hated my people had nearly succeeded in getting me to turn me on my own people, and to brainwash me. I began to detach myself away to avoid being called a traitor by the majority of society. Read more

Syria’s Kurds mistrust government and opposition: activists

(Reuters) – Syrian Kurds, the country’s largest ethnic minority, do not trust President Bashar al-Assad, nor the opposition, so for now have largely kept out of the uprising against the government, exiled Kurdish opposition representatives said.

The Kurds are also wary of Turkey’s growing influence on the Arab groups trying to overthrow Assad, fearing that if they succeed, they will crush Kurdish hopes for autonomy in Syria, due to Ankara’s opposition to home-rule for its own Kurds. Read more

Syria: Army Shoots Protesters Attempting to Reach Observers

Arab League Should Protect Civilians Or Reconsider Its Mission:
(New York, January 12, 2012) – The Arab League should urgently condemn the Syrian security forces for shooting peaceful protesters who were attempting to reach its observers in the northern city of Jisr al-Shughur, Human Rights Watch said today. In light of these and other blatant violations of the agreement it brokered with the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad, the Arab League should report publicly on its findings and assess whether its mission should continue. Read more

AVAAZ petition: refer Syria to ICC

SIGN THE PETITION: To all members of the UN Security Council and the Arab League:

We call on you to stop the deadly terror in Syria by immediately referring cases against the regime to the International Criminal Court. Both the UN Human Rights Council and a new Avaaz report have found evidence that Assad’s senior officials and security forces have committed crimes against humanity. It is time to stop this murderous brutality and protect the Syrian people, who are risking everything to reclaim their rights and their dignity. Read more

Syria: Comply With Agreement

HRW: Arab League Should Set Clear Conditions for a Credible Mission

The Syrian government should comply with all the terms of its agreement with the Arab League, Human Rights Watch said today ahead of a January 8, 2012 meeting of the Arab League to discuss its monitoring mission in Syria. Read more

Amnesty I: Arab League should clarify human rights situation in Syria

“By their mere presence in Syria, the Arab League observers have given encouragement to the protesters to return to the streets in larger numbers and given more visibility to human rights concerns, but robust action is now needed to stop the violence.”

Ann Harrison, Interim Deputy Programme Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International. Fri, 06/01/2012 Read more

UN Security Council membership

 

Azerbaijan (2013) India (2012) South Africa (2012) Colombia (2012) Morocco (2013) Togo (2013) Germany (2012) Pakistan (2013) Guatemala (2013) Portugal (2012)

The General Assembly elected Azerbaijan, Guatemala, Morocco, Pakistan and Togo to serve as non-permanent members of the Security Council for two-year terms starting on 1 January 2012. The newly elected countries will replace Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Gabon, Lebanon and Nigeria. Read more

TURKEY MUST INVESTIGATE CIVILIAN KILLINGS

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