The UN-backed independent Commission of Inquiry on Syria released a report on Thursday documenting human rights violations1 since the beginning of the Syria uprising in March 2011. The report puts most of the blame on the Syrian armed and security forces, which its says committed crimes against humanity. But the commission also accuses armed opposition groups of serious human rights violations. It also drew up a list of perpetrators that includes officials at the highest level of government. The list is being kept secret but could be used in any future prosecutions of those responsible for crimes. The commission was not granted access to the country by Syrian authorities and has relied on interviews with 369 witnesses and victims. Commission Chairman Paulo Pinheiro spoke to Al Monitor:
What has changed significantly since you last produced a report on rights violations in Syria, in November?
The first thing that has changed dramatically on the ground is the presence of armed confrontations. When this conflict began in March 2011, the three first months were characterized by peaceful demonstrations. Now you see an escalation in violence, the presence of armed groups, defections from the army --however limited -- and the presence of the Free Syrian Army (FSA). The second thing is the continuation of the same patterns of gross human rights violations but only more intense, with more victims, especially civilians.
Why does the report refrains from qualifying the situation on the ground as a civil war or an armed conflict?
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