UN inquiry report `not neutral`, says Syria

The Syrian government slammed as "unprofessional and not neutral" a recent report by the UN Commission of Inquiry which accused the Syrian administration of huge human rights violations.

Damascus: The Syrian government Friday slammed as "unprofessional and not neutral" a recent report by the UN Commission of Inquiry which accused the Syrian administration of huge human rights violations. Last month, UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria published its latest report on the human rights situation in Syria, concluding that innocent Syrian civilians were bearing the brunt of escalating armed confrontation between the government and rebel forces.

It said that it had received credible accounts of regular soldiers executing captives and incidents of direct targeting of civilians by aerial bombardment, including "barrel bombs," rocket attacks and machine gun fires which have risen significantly over recent months. The commission said there were testimonies of systematic patterns of torture in detention centres. In a letter sent to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Syrian foreign ministry Friday said the report of the Commission of Inquiry relied on information presented by countries that are partners in the bloodletting in Syria, and added that the report is "hasty ..., one sided" and based on unconfirmed allegations. It also totally rejected the UN commission`s claims that the government was using cluster rockets in the fight against the rebels. It also charged that the commission`s report did not include the crimes committed by the armed groups, including what they have done in Aleppo by stealing and robbing industrial and medication factories. IANS