The Hague: The United Nations' top court on Thursday ordered the Syrian government to take all measures within its powers to prevent torture, in a case in which the Netherlands and Canada accuse Damascus of a years-long campaign of torturing its own citizens.
The interim order is intended to protect potential victims while the case accusing Syria of breaching the torture convention proceeds through the International Court of Justice, a process likely to take years.
The court's President Joan E. Donoghue called on Damascus to take all measures within its power to prevent acts torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and ensure that its officials, as well as any organisations or persons, may be subject to its control, direction or influence do not commit any acts of torture or other acts of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Canada and the Netherlands last month called on the court to order the torture ban. Syria boycotted the hearing in October and it remains unclear how it will respond to an order by the world court.
