BEIRUT: Human Rights Watch has accused Syrian rebel groups outside
Damascus of war crimes after they placed hostages including civilians in
cages for use as "human shields" to deter government strikes.
Video posted over the weekend showed dozens of captives, among them soldiers and civilians, in cages being transported to different parts of the Eastern Ghouta region outside Damascus.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the powerful Jaish al-Islam group had placed the caged captives in public squares to deter government bombing.
Human Rights Watch said the practice "constitutes hostage-taking and an outrage against their personal dignity, which are both war crimes."
"Nothing can justify caging people and intentionally putting them in harm's way, even if the purpose is to stop indiscriminate government attacks," said HRW deputy Middle East director Nadim Houry.
"Ending Syria's downward spiral requires international backers of armed groups as well as the government to make protecting civilians a top priority."
The rights group noted that a similar practice was reported in September, in two government-held Shiite towns under rebel siege in Idlib province.
There images emerged purporting to show captured rebels placed in a cage on a building in one of the villages to deter opposition shelling.
Video posted over the weekend showed dozens of captives, among them soldiers and civilians, in cages being transported to different parts of the Eastern Ghouta region outside Damascus.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the powerful Jaish al-Islam group had placed the caged captives in public squares to deter government bombing.
Human Rights Watch said the practice "constitutes hostage-taking and an outrage against their personal dignity, which are both war crimes."
"Nothing can justify caging people and intentionally putting them in harm's way, even if the purpose is to stop indiscriminate government attacks," said HRW deputy Middle East director Nadim Houry.
"Ending Syria's downward spiral requires international backers of armed groups as well as the government to make protecting civilians a top priority."
The rights group noted that a similar practice was reported in September, in two government-held Shiite towns under rebel siege in Idlib province.
There images emerged purporting to show captured rebels placed in a cage on a building in one of the villages to deter opposition shelling.
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