UN Human Rights Council launches new Syria inquiryAugust 23, 2011 - 15:34 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The UN Human Rights Council launched an international commission of inquiry on Tuesday, August 23, into Syria's crackdown on anti-government protesters, including possible crimes against humanity, despite objections by Russia, China and Cuba. According to Reuters, the council condemned what it called "continued grave and systematic human rights violations by Syrian authorities such as arbitrary executions, excessive use of force and the killing and persecution of protesters and human rights defenders." UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said on Monday more than 2,200 people have been killed in the five-month-old crackdown. The 47-member forum easily adopted a resolution presented by the European Union, the United States and Arab countries including Saudi Arabia. The vote was 33 states in favor with four against and 9 abstentions. Libya's membership in the council was suspended earlier this year so it has no vote. Syria's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Faysal Khabbaz Hamoui rejected the resolution as unbalanced. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Concept to complete Yerevan Cascade discussed at city hall A conceptual proposal to complete the Cascade complex in downtown Yerevan has been presented by Jean-Michel Wilmotte. Pashinyan visits flood-hit region Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Saturday, June 8 visited the disaster area in the Lori province. €3.5 mln EU grant to support justice reforms in Armenia The European Union has paid €3.5 mln grant to Armenia within a €11mln program on Support to Justice Reforms. Yerevan reacts to Baku’s proposal to see Minsk Group abolition Alen Simonyan has declared that Armenia is taking steps aimed at concluding a peace treaty with Azerbaijan. |