Action Should Follow Obama, Putin G-20 Observations on Syria

Washington, D.C. – In a two hour long meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit today President Obama and Russian President Putin discussed a way forward on the crisis in Syria. In a joint statement, the Presidents both stated that they want an “immediate cessation of all violence” and again expressed full support for the efforts of Kofi Annan including moving forward on a transition to democracy. In reaction to the comments, Human Rights First’s Sadia Hameed issued the following statement: “While this rhetoric may have been acceptable a few months ago, Syria continues to massacre civilians and Annan’s UN monitoring mission is about to depart.  Meanwhile, arms shipments from Russia to Syria reportedly go on unabated. Both countries must demonstrate they mean what they say by taking action to end Russian weapons sales to Syria, support an international arms embargo, urge the UN Security Council to refer crimes against humanity charges to the ICC and immediately demand access for human rights investigators and humanitarian aid.  Both Russia and the United States have the ability to deliver on these recommendations or at the very least to influence their outcome.  In the absence of these actions both Governments are nothing more than by-standers to the slaughter of thousands of innocent Syrians.”