UN Council split over Syria crimes

on 18/01/2013 19:48:43

The UN Security Council's president has said the council is divided over whether to refer reports of war crimes in Syria to the International Criminal Court.

Five council members - France, Britain, Luxembourg, Australia and South Korea - made a joint statement today urging the world body to send the problem to the International Criminal Court to prosecute war criminals.

But council president Masood Khan, the ambassador of Pakistan, said the council is divided in private deliberations over what to do.

Some council members contend that having the court pursue prosecutions will encourage Syrian president Bashar Assad's regime to dig in and resist to the end.

They spoke after UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay told the council that the death toll in Syria has reached 60,000.