BEIRUT – A U.N. commission on Monday said fighters on both sides in Syria’s civil war have committed atrocities and should be brought to justice.
The 131-page report issued Monday detailed deepening radicalization by both sides, who increasingly see the war in sectarian terms and rely on brutal tactics to advance their cause, spreading fear and hardship among the country’s civilians.
The report accused both sides of atrocities, while saying that those committed by rebel fighters have not reached the “intensity and scale” of the government’s violations.
Regime forces and its associated militias have committed crimes against humanity, the report said, citing murder, torture and rape. It said rebels have committed war crimes, including murder, torture, looting and hostage-taking.
The commission said it will submit a confidential list of Syrians suspected of committing crimes against humanity to the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, Navi Pillay, next month.
Meanwhile, local administration minister Omar Ghalawanji said Monday that damage to infrastructure across Syria after nearly two years of conflict is estimated to cost $11 billion.