U.S. Envoy: Syria “Not Fit to Sit” on UN Rights Committee
“Indefensible for Syrian regime to stand as judge of other countries”
UN Watch urges EU, France, UK, Germany to also speak out
GENEVA, April 11 – UN Watch congratulated U.S. Ambassador David Killion for speaking out as UNESCO’s human rights committee assembled in Paris this week to rule on individual human rights complaints—with Syria’s Assad regime as one of its 30 judges. The Geneva-based watchdog group urged UNESCO to finally expel Assad from the panel.
“It is indefensible for the Syrian regime to be allowed to stand as a judge of other countries’ human rights records,” said Ambassador Killion in response to a question by UN Watch, which heads a global campaign of more than 50 parliamentarians, human rights and religious groups calling for Syria’s expulsion.
In a statement today, UN Watch called on France, Germany, the UK, the EU and the UN to speak out and take action to remove Syria from the UN committee.
“Having the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad as a global judge of human rights is like appointing a pyromaniac to be a firefighter,” said UN Watch executive director Hillel Neuer.
“UNESCO is allowing the Assad regime to strut in Paris as a UN human rights arbiter. That’s immoral, indefensible, and an insult to Syria’s victims.”
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Global Media Report on UN Watch Award to Russian Dissident Garry Kasparov
Garry Kasparov, a former Russian chess grandmaster who became a political activist, will receive a human rights award from UN Watch. The group, which monitors the United Nations, named Kasparov the recipient of its Morris B. Abram Human Rights Award on Monday for his “long and nonviolent struggle” for human rights in Russia. “Mr. Kasparov is not only one of the world’s smartest men, he is also among its bravest,” said UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer. — UN Watch to bestow Kasparov with human rights accolade, JTA, April 8, 2013.
