For Immediate Release
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) today criticized Russia and China’s refusal to refer the Syria crisis to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“While the U.N. Security Council should ensure justice for all victims of crimes under international law, its failure to act is particularly disturbing when civilians are overwhelmingly bearing the brunt of these atrocities,” said Donna McKay, PHR’s executive director. “There is no shortage of evidence of war crimes in Syria, including deliberate and systematic attacks on medical facilities and personnel, which have accelerated the humanitarian crisis. A vote against referral favors politics over human lives, and fails the people of Syria in desperate need of assistance from the international community.”
PHR last week released an interactive map documenting 150 attacks on hospitals and other health care facilities in Syria, which constitute crimes against humanity due to their systematic nature. Government forces were responsible for 90 percent of the attacks over the last three years.
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) is a New York-based advocacy organization that uses science and medicine to prevent mass atrocities and severe human rights violations. Learn more here.