Yemen/ Increasing violence
Situation in Syria
Libya/ Report by the Human Rights Council’s International Commission of Inquiry
Yemen/ Increasing violence
We are extremely concerned by the increasing violence in Sanaa and the rest of Yemen.
We renew our appeal to the Yemeni president to immediately reach a political solution and to sign the transition agreement drafted by the GCC, the only way to end this crisis.
Pursuing a course of repression and violence is pointless. Those who choose this path will be held accountable by the people of Yemen and the international community.
There’s still time for President Saleh to choose to demonstrate responsibility and act in the interests of the Yemeni people.
Given the very swift and unforeseeable deterioration in the security situation, French nationals living in Yemen are now advised to leave the country as quickly as possible by taking the available commercial flights.
The violence being perpetrated by the Syrian authorities against the demonstrators and the civilian population hasn’t stopped since April. Despite the announcements of an amnesty and the lifting of the state of emergency, which has not been put into effect, the massive violations of human rights and freedoms are continuing and increasing.
The inhabitants of several Syrian towns, notably in Rastan, Talbiseh and Deraa are now being exposed to inhuman conditions: they’re being deprived of water, food, electricity, access to healthcare services; there are arbitrary arrests, including in the hospitals, and murders.
France again expresses its outrage and condemns this situation. It urges the Syrian authorities to put an end to this barbaric violence and to honor their international commitments with respect to human rights, to implement credible reforms and engage in an inclusive national political dialogue. It urges Syria’s partners to mobilize their efforts to denounce these unacceptable acts which must stop.
France reaffirms the Human Rights Council’s decision to establish a mission tasked with investigating the human rights violations committed. It urges the Syrian authorities to cooperate with this fact-finding mission and to allow the UN to have access to the Syrian territory to assess the humanitarian needs of the populations in the besieged towns and to come to their assistance.
Libya/ Report by the Human Rights Council’s International Commission of Inquiry
The International Commission of Inquiry, established by the Human Rights Council following its 15th Special Session on February 15 to investigate all allegations of human rights violations committed in Libya, released its report on June 1, 2011.
France commends the exceptional work conducted by this International Commission of Inquiry which was able to go to Libya where it met with representatives of Qaddafi’s regime in Tripoli and representatives of the National Transitional Council (NTC), members of civil society, medical personnel in 10 different hospitals, prisoners, internally displaced persons and refugees.
The report confirms the extreme seriousness of the violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms committed by Qaddafi’s regime. It denounces the indiscriminate attacks against civilians, the use of heavy weapons in urban areas, the practice of torture, the arbitrary arrests and detentions, and enforced disappearances.
France also noted the International Commission of Inquiry’s concerns regarding possible human rights violations committed by the opposition forces, notably against the immigrant populations in Libya. In this respect, we reaffirm our attachment to the respect of human rights by all parties. We regularly convey this message to the members of the NTC, whose determination to apply the fundamental principles of human rights was clearly specified in its constitutional charter.
France fully supports the recommendations set out by the commission of inquiry. It would like the Human Rights Council to draw all of the conclusions from the report at the debate on June 6 on the human rights situation in Libya.
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