A/HRC/23/58 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 18 July 2013 Original: English Human Rights Council Twenty-third session Agenda item 4 Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention Report of the independent international commission of inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic* ** Summary The conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic has reached new levels of brutality. In the present report, the commission of inquiry documents, for the first time, the systematic imposition of sieges, the use of chemical agents and cases of forcible displacement. War crimes, crimes against humanity and gross human rights violations continue apace. Referral to justice remains paramount. The present report, submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 22/24, covers the period from 15 January to 15 May 2013. The findings are based on 430 interviews and other collected evidence. Government forces and affiliated militia have committed murder, torture, rape, forcible displacement, enforced disappearance and other inhumane acts. Many of these crimes were perpetrated as part of widespread or systematic attacks against civilian populations and constitute crimes against humanity. War crimes and gross violations of international human rights law – including summary execution, arbitrary arrest and detention, unlawful attack, attacking protected objects, and pillaging and destruction of property – have also been committed. The tragedy of 4.25 million internally displaced persons in the Syrian Arab Republic is compounded by recent incidents of these persons being targeted and forcibly displaced. Anti-government armed groups have also committed war crimes, including murder, sentencing and execution without due process, torture, hostage-taking and pillage. They continue to endanger the civilian population by positioning military objectives in civilian * The annexes to the present report are circulated as received, in the language of submission only. ** The present report was prepared pursuant to an ad hoc request of the Human Rights Council made at its twenty-second session, and was therefore submitted after the deadline for regular documentation. GE.13- 15620