UPDATE - War crimes likely committed in Eastern Ghouta: UN

UPDATES WITH REMARKS FROM US AND TURKISH AMBASSADORS, EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Fatih Erel

GENEVA (AA) - The UN human rights chief on Friday said war crimes and crimes against humanity had likely been committed in Eastern Ghouta and elsewhere in Syria and had to be referred to the International Criminal Court.

"What we are seeing, in Eastern Ghouta and elsewhere in Syria, are likely war crimes, and potentially crimes against humanity," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein said in a meeting on the situation in the besieged Damascus suburb at the 37th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

"Civilians are being pounded into submission or death. The perpetrators of these crimes must know they are being identified, that dossiers are being built up with a view to their prosecutions, and that they will be held accountable for what they have done," he added.

The UN rights chief said that despite the five-hour pause announced by Russia to allow medical and humanitarian aid, airstrikes and ground-based attacks had continued.

"Moreover, the humanitarian agencies have made it very clear that it is impossible to deliver aid during a five-hour window as it can take up to one day to simply pass checkpoints," he said.

"Syria must be referred to the International Criminal Court. Attempts to thwart justice, and shield these criminals, are disgraceful," he added.

The U.S. representative at the council, Theodore Allegra, condemned the "brutal" attacks by the Bashar al-Assad regime.

"There are no longer words adequate to describe the brutality of the regime's attacks on its own population. The horror of the situation has surpassed even the ability of the English language to describe it," she said.

Noting that there had been no cessation of hostilities despite last Saturday's UN Security Council resolution for a cease-fire, Allegra added: "The Assad regime and its Russian backers continue to carry out airstrikes -- airstrikes which have caused more deaths of innocent men, women, and children, and which have caused more destruction of civilian infrastructure, including a maternity ward."

"The U.S. deplores all chemical weapon attacks, and is deeply concerned about yet another report of a chlorine attack in Eastern Ghouta less than a day after the cease-fire should have taken effect," she said.

-Siege 'unacceptable'

Turkey's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Naci Koru said the siege applied by the regime in civilian areas was "unacceptable", in reference to Eastern Ghouta.

"We stand ready to treat the critically ill and wounded civilians [from eastern Ghouta] in Turkey. We will continue to extend humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people and support the efforts of the international community and the UN," he said.

The Syrian regime, Russia, China and several other countries had opposed the holding of such a debate at the UN Human Rights Council whereas the U.S., U.K., EU countries, and Turkey supported the urgent session on Eastern Ghouta.

Russia rejected the meeting arguing it was "useless and counter-productive".

Eastern Ghouta, a Damascus suburb, has been under siege for the last five years, and humanitarian access to the area, which is home to some 400,000 people, has been completely cut off.

In the past eight months, Bashar al-Assad regime forces have intensified their siege of eastern Ghouta, making it nearly impossible for food or medicine to get into the district and leaving thousands of patients in need of treatment.

Hundreds have been killed by regime airstrikes in recent days.

Last Saturday, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution calling for a 30-day cease-fire in Syria without delay.