UN assembly panel condemns Syria over crackdown

The UN General Assembly's human rights committee on Tuesday condemned Syria for its eight-month crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in a vote backed by Western nations and most Arab states.

The resolution, drafted by Britain, France and Germany, received 122 votes in favor, 13 against and 41 abstentions. Thirteen Arab states, including the six Arab co-sponsors, voted for it, as did Syria's erstwhile ally Turkey.

Russia and China, which vetoed a European-drafted UN Security Council resolution last month that would have condemned Syria and threatened possible future sanctions, abstained, according to an official UN tally, which diplomats said could indicate a shift in their positions.

Countries that voted against the resolution included Iran, North Korea, Belarus, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Vietnam.

The overwhelming support for the committee's non-binding resolution showed how isolated Damascus has become. Compared to the three other countries singled out for condemnations by the General Assembly's Third Committee -- Iran, North Korea and Myanmar -- Syria had the least number of supporters.

Arab states voting for the declaration were Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates. Syria was the only Arab state to vote against it, while Algeria, Comoros, Lebanon and Yemen abstained.

Arab League members Iraq, Djibouti and Somalia did not vote in the committee, where all 193 UN nations are represented.

Syrian UN Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari said the resolution had no meaning for Damascus and portrayed it as a US-inspired political move.

"Although the draft resolution is submitted primarily from three European countries it is not a secret that the United States of America is the mastermind and main instigator of the political campaign against my country," Ja'afari said.