UN says Syria committed crimes against humanity as Arabs urge Syria to sign plan

A United Nations commission of inquiry on Syria said on Monday that Syrian military and security forces have committed crimes against humanity including murder, torture and rape and that the government of President Bashar al-Assad bore responsibility for the crimes.  

The panel, which interviewed 223 victims and witnesses including defectors, called on Syria to halt the "gross human rights violations", release prisoners rounded up in mass arrests and allow media, aid workers and rights monitors access to the country.

Meanwhile, the Arab League chief urged Damascus to sign an Arab plan to end a Syrian crackdown on protesters and said this would lead to a review of sanctions and other measures taken against the Syrian government, Egypt's official news agency reported on Monday.  

The appeal was made in a letter from League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby to Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem.  

He wrote that signing the deal would lead to "a review of all the measures which the League council took."

Reuters