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BRUSSELS – The U.N.'s top human rights official said Saturday that thereshould be no amnesty for serious crimes committed in Syria, even ifthe threat of prosecution might motivate members of the regime tocling to power at all costs. Asked if Syrian President Bashar Assad should be allowed to leavepower in exchange for safe haven, U.N. High Commissioner for HumanRights Navi Pillay said international leaders seeking peace may bedrawn to "politically expedient solutions which may involve amnestyor undertakings not to prosecute." But she said that would be wrong under international law. "You cannot have amnesty for very serious crimes," she told TheAssociated Press during an interview in Brussels. "So my message isvery clear — there has to be accountability." Lawyers for former Liberian President Charles Taylor, who wassentenced Wednesday by the Special Court for Sierra Leone to 50years in prison, had argued that giving him a long sentence wouldsend the wrong message to Assad. Courtenay Griffiths, an attorney for Taylor, criticized the courtfor refusing while setting Taylor's sentence to take into accounthis decision to step down from power after his indictment in 2003. "What lesson does that send to President Assad?" Griffiths asked."Maybe the lesson is: If you are a sitting leader and theinternational community wants to get rid of you, either you getmurdered like Gadhafi, or you hang on until the bitter end." Libyanleader Moammar Gadhafi was killed by a mob in October. In Doha, Qatar, on Saturday, the head of Syria's largest exileopposition group said he would welcome Arab military action aimedat ending attacks by Assad's regime against Syrian rebel forces andcivilians. Activists say as many as 13,000 people have died in Assad'scrackdown against a popular uprising that began in March 2011. Oneyear after the revolt started, the U.N. put the toll at 9,000, butmany more have died since. Burhan Ghalioun, head of the Syrian National Council, made thecomments before a meeting of Arab League foreign ministers. Theenvoys are to discuss the bloodshed in Syria, including last week'smassacre of more than 100 people in Houla. Gulf nations such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar have pledged funds toaid Syria's rebels, but there is no direct evidence that anti-Assadforces are becoming better armed. The Arab League, however, doesnot appear ready to deploy its own troops. Kofi Annan, the international envoy for Syria, is also in Doha. ___ Brian Murphy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to thisreport. I am an expert from roll-formingmachinery.com, while we provides the quality product, such as CNC Cutting Machine Manufacturer , Tank Welding Machine Manufacturer, Beam Welding Line,and more.
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