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War crimes committed in Syria's Ghouta must be prosecuted, UN says

GENEVA - Air strikes on the besieged Syrian enclave of eastern Ghouta and shelling from the rebel-held zone into Damascus most likely constitute war crimes and must be prosecuted, the top UN human rights official said on Friday.

Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that the perpetrators in Syria should know they were being identified and that dossiers were being built with a view to future criminal prosecutions.

"Syria must be referred to the International Criminal Court. Attempts to thwart justice, and shield these criminals, are disgraceful," Zeid told the Geneva rights forum which is holding an urgent debate on eastern Ghouta at Britain's request.