GENEVA, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Syrian forces have shot
dead unarmed women and children, shelled residential areas and
tortured wounded protesters in hospital under orders from the
"highest level" of army and government officials, the United
Nations said on Thursday.
Independent U.N. investigators called for perpetrators of
such crimes against humanity to face prosecution and said they
had drawn up a confidential list of names of commanding officers
and officials alleged to be responsible.
"The commission received credible and consistent evidence
identifying high- and mid-ranking members of the armed forces
who ordered their subordinates to shoot at unarmed protestors,
kill soldiers who refused to obey such orders, arrest persons
without cause, mistreat detained persons and attack civilian
neighbourhoods with indiscriminate tanks and machine-gun fire,"
investigators said in a report to the U.N. Human Rights Council.
The commission of inquiry, headed by Brazilian Paulo
Pinheiro, found that rebel forces led by the Free Syrian Army
had also committed abuses including killings and abductions,
"although not comparable in scale".
(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Louise Ireland)
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