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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran | |
| SyriaÂ’s UN human rights envoy defects in Geneva | |
| 2012-08-14 | |
“Basically, when I felt I could not help my people any more I had to move on,” Danny Al-Baaj, the first Syrian diplomat in Switzerland to abandon Bashar Assad’s regime, told AFP. “When I was involved in any negotiations (on Syria) my concern was to protect the country not the government." Al-Baaj's move comes a week after Syria's Prime Minister Riyad Hijab defected along with other top officials and military commanders. Thousands of military officers have also switched sides over the past months, many of them fleeing to Turkey before returning to Syria to join rebel forces. Baaj said he took his decision a long time ago and had been in contact with Syrian opposition group the Democratic Forum based in Paris. He had been in Geneva for two years and met the opposition group “some time ago,” before announcing his resignation last Friday, he said. “I met the charge d’affaires (of Syria in Geneva) and I told him I had made my decision that I was going to the opposition... He said it was my choice and he wished me luck.” Speaking from Geneva where he is considering his next move, Baaj described the Democratic Forum as one of the main opposition groups. It is headed by Michel Kilo, a long-time opponent of the regime. The development comes ahead of the release on Wednesday of an official UNHRC independent commission of inquiry report into Syria. Baaj said he “hoped” the Geneva-based body would make progress toward consensus on the situation in Syria despite many countries letting their own agendas interfere with finding a solution. “At the last session the HRC was very close to reaching consensus ... I hope different countries put aside their agendas to help the Syrian people,” he said. Baaj also stressed his opposition to outside military intervention in the conflict but supported the role of the UN’s Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS), calling it “a good thing.” “I hope it stays there. It’s very important to document abuses by both sides,” he said. | |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #3 All the fashionable dictatorships get a tour on the UNRHC. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2012-08-14 15:13 |
| #2 Syria had a representative on the Human Rights Council? |
| Posted by: Hank 2012-08-14 14:35 |
| #1 Let's see...would I rather live in Switzerland or Syria...hmmmm. |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2012-08-14 12:16 |