More than 30 Syrians protesting against the Assad government were killed Friday as thousands took to the streets demanding reform, while the White House lambasted Syria over its excessive use of force against its citizens.
The deaths come on a proclaimed “day of defiance” as demonstrations erupted across the Middle Eastern country. Twenty-six were killed in the cities of Homs, Hama, and Jableh, reported Al Jazeera, citing the rights group Insan.
Witnesses inside Syria told The Associated Press that more than 30 were killed. More than 500 civilians have died since anti-government protests swept the nation two months ago.
“What it looks like here is a systematic attack on a civilian population, a political decision to shoot to kill unarmed demonstrators and that could very well be a crime against humanity,” Human Rights Watch spokesperson Reed Brody told Associated Press Television News.
On Friday, the White House criticized the administration of decade-long ruler President Bashar al-Assad for its strong-armed approach to dealing with protests.
“We strongly condemn and deplore the Syrian government’s use of violence and mass arrests in response to ongoing demonstrations,” a White House statement read.
“Over the past two weeks, it has been made abundantly clear that the Syrian government’s security crackdown will not restore stability and will not stop the demands for change in Syria,” the White House added. “The Syrian government continues to follow the lead of its Iranian ally in resorting to brute force and flagrant violations of human rights in suppressing peaceful protests.”
While the White House was pessimistic over possible reform within the Syrian establishment, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took a softer stance.
Syria still has “an opportunity still to bring about a reform agenda,” Clinton said in interview with an Italian journalist in Rome, according to a State Department release. “People do believe there is a possible path forward with Syria. So we’re going to continue joining with all of our allies to keep pressing very hard on that.”
However, Clinton added that the situation was “complex” and that the West as well as other Arab countries will continue to press Syria with sanctions over its response to demonstrations.
“I think it’s fair to say that everyone has the same concerns—the United States, Italy, our other European and Arab partners—about what’s going on in Syria. And we have been absolutely outspoken on that,” Clinton said.
Clinton mentioned that the U.S. has already begun sanction Syrian leaders and that the European Union is considering the same. “There are deep concerns about what is going on inside Syria, and we are pushing hard for the Government of Syria to live up to its own stated commitment to reforms,” she said.
The State Department also noted that it was working hard to secure the release of Dorothy Parvaz, a journalist with Qatar-based Al Jazeera who holds American, Canadian, and Iranian citizenship detained a week earlier.
“We are certainly aware of the case of this detained American journalist for Al Jazeera,” State Department spokesman Mark Toner said on Friday, according to a transcript of the briefing. “And we’ve asked for, obviously, given that she’s an American citizen, for consular access. ... We have pressed our concerns to the Syrian Government about missing individuals.”
Human rights group Insan has said that more than 2,800 Syrians are confirmed to have been detained in connection with the protests, and the total number of illegal detentions exceeds 8,000.
Human Rights Watch on Friday called for the United Nations to reject Syria’s candidacy for the organization’s Human Rights Council. The UN General Assembly elects new members to the council on May 20.
“It’s outrageous that Syria can be condemned by the Human Rights Council one month and be an endorsed candidate in elections for that same body the next month,” Human Rights Group global advocacy director Peggy Hicks said in a statement. “Every day that passes calls further into question the credibility of those who have supported Syria’s candidacy.”
