VIGILS EXPRESSING SOLIDARITY with victims of violence in Syria will be held in Dublin and Galway today.

They are taking place as part of an Amnesty Global Day of Action to express solidarity with the victims of the conflict in Syria.

The Dublin vigil will be held outside the GPO on O’Connell Street, while the Galway vigil will take place on the city’s Middle Street. Both will begin at noon,  followed by a minute’s silence at 12.30pm.

Amnesty International is holding a Global Day of Action today to mark one year since the fall of the Mubarak government in Egypt and a year of change across the Middle East.

Amnesty says it supporters will hold the  solidarity vigil today “to highlight the inaction of the international community on Syria, and in particular the decision by Russia to veto a UN Security Council resolution”, which the organisation has described as a betrayal of the Syrian people.

Earlier this week, Amnesty said that Russia and other countries with influence over Syria must act urgently to stop the bombardment of Homs.

The organisation also called on the Arab League to continue its diplomatic efforts on Syria.

Colm O’Gorman, executive director of Amnesty International Ireland, said:

Innocent men, women and children are dying every day in Homs. It is turning into a major humanitarian crisis. Russia has blocked international efforts to stop the massive human rights violations in Syria, claiming it has a better plan to end the crisis.

Russia, and other countries with influence over Syria, must use whatever means they have to restrain the Syrian military in Homs and ensure it stops using heavy weaponry in residential areas.

Amnesty International has concluded that crimes against humanity are taking place in Syria – a finding also made by a UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry in November – and called for the situation to be referred to Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.

It also called for a comprehensive arms embargo to be imposed on Syria and an assets freeze against President Bashar al-Assad and his close associates.

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