'..Russia bears a heavy responsibility for allowing the brutal crackdown on legitimate dissent in Syria to continue unchecked.'<blockquote>'Russia's threats to abort a binding UN security council resolution on Syria for the second time are utterly irresponsible. Russia bears a heavy responsibility for allowing the brutal crackdown on legitimate dissent in Syria to continue unchecked.
Russia must work with other security council members to pass a strong and legally binding resolution that will help to end the bloodshed and human rights violations in Syria once and for all.
After more than 10 months of a government campaign of killings, arbitrary detention, torture and enforced disappearances, clear mechanisms for accountability must be at the heart of the security council's efforts to end the crisis.
The security council must now refer the deteriorating situation in Syria to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, freeze the overseas assets of President al-Assad and his senior associates, and impose an arms embargo.'
- José Luis Díaz, Amnesty International's representative to the UN in New York, (
Source, February 01, 2012)</blockquote>
Context<blockquote>
'..to persuade Russia to abstain..''..a rising tide of discontent.'</blockquote>