U.N. General Assembly Vote on Syria Praised

Washington, DC – Following today’s United Nations General Assembly Vote condemning rights violations in Syria and supporting calls for President Assad to step down, Human Rights First’s Sadia Hameed issued the following statement: “The U.N. General Assembly is right to condemn the unthinkable violence against Syrian civilians and to call for an immediate end to President Assad’s crackdown. The United States can immediately make good on its backing of this resolution by heightening pressure on those who are enabling Assad’s atrocities, including Russia and China, who both opposed today’s resolution.” Human Rights First has issued a letter to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner urging him to use his authority under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act to sanction the Russian arms dealer Rosoboronexport for materially supporting the commission of human rights violations in Syria. Rosoboronexport signed a deal with the Syrian government in January to sell 36 combat jets capable of hitting ground targets, a move likely to escalate ongoing violence in Syria and bring the country closer to civil war. Human Rights First’s letter called on the United States to cease all business with Rosoboronexport and designate the Russian company for sanctions. For more information or to speak with Hameed, please contact Brenda Bowser Soder at bowsersoderb@humanrightsfirst.org or 202-370-3323.