Syria 'exterminating detainees' - UN report

 

hey accuse President Bashar al-Assad's regime of crimes against humanity, in a report

Investigators suspect tens of thousands of people are detained by Syria's government at any one time.

Their report describes the situation of detainees as an "urgent and large-scale crisis of human rights protection".

Survivors' accounts "paint a terrifying picture of the magnitude of the violations taking place," it said.

The civil war in Syria has claimed an estimated 250,000 lives so far.

About 4.6 million people have fled Syria, while another 13.5 million are said to be in need of humanitarian assistance inside the country.

for the UN Human Rights Council.

The study says both loyalist and anti-government forces have committed possible war crimes.

Many detainees were tortured, some were beaten to death, and others died from lack of food, water, or medical care.

The findings come from interviews with hundreds of witnesses and cover the period since the start of anti-government protests in March 2011.

The report says thousands of detainees have been killed while in the custody of warring parties during that time.