Foreign militants in Syria
October 17, 2012
Paulo Sergio Pinheiro's remarks on Tuesday said the presence and increased influence of "foreign militants, radical Islamists or jihadists, worries us very much."
"Their presence can contribute to radicalization," he added, saying such fighters are particularly dangerous in such a volatile conflict.
One of the dangers is that foreign fighters may be fighting with their own interest - rather than the interest of democracy building in Syria - at heart.
Pinheiro also said that human rights violations on both sides of the conflict had been escalating in recent months, but that government forces are committing violations on a higher scale than the opposition.
The UN Human Rights Council has tasked Pinheiro's team with investigating human rights violations in Syria. Their mandate has been extended until March 2013.
Meanwhile on Tuesday, both the Syrian government and the exiled opposition have said they would be open to a ceasefire over the four-day Eid al-Adha Muslim holiday at the end of the month. This had been proposed by the UN's Syrian envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi.
However, both sides stipulated any participation in a ceasefire would be contingent on the cooperation of the other.
mz/jm (AP, AFP)