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Syria: Monthly Human Rights Digest - May 2019

Countries
Syria
Sources
OHCHR
Publication date

This Digest on Syria is prepared by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). It is intended to provide an overview of the impact of armed conflict and violence on civilians, with attention to gender-related concerns, as well as a number of current and possible future IHL and human rights concerns that may arise in relation to it. As OHCHR does not have direct access to Syria (and hence cannot access directly the locations where incidents have taken place), it often relies on monitoring via a range of techniques to gain information through reliable networks of sources including primary sources like survivors and eye-witnesses. OHCHR utilizes as wide a range of sources and types of information as possible. OHCHR gives preference to primary sources, such as testimony of victims, victims' relatives, witnesses, and health personnel. Secondary sources may also be consulted, including but not limited to community elders, religious and civil leaders, local, governorate and central Government departments and officials, UN and other International Organizations operating in Syria, local and international media reports, and civil society organizations (national and international). All sources are analysed for their reliability, credibility and integrity. Attempts are made to crosscheck and verify all information from sources before conclusions are drawn and published. Where OHCHR is not satisfied with the information collected in relation to a particular incident or it fails to meet the standard of proof employed, it will not be reported. The Digest does not seek to highlight all human rights violations and abuses committed in Syria nor list all documented cases of a particular type. Rather, the Digest focuses on a few key human rights issues which are of particular concern and are often under reported or not receiving sufficient scrutiny.