A Russian naval flotilla led by an aircraft carrier docked in the Syrian port of Tartus in what Damascus hailed as a show of solidarity by Moscow—as NATO member Turkey broached military intervention in the conflicted Arab nation.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay again condemned the brutal crackdown on protesters by military and security forces in Cairo, where 11 people have been killed in repression over the past four days.
The opposition has called an ongoing general strike, civil disobedience campaign and election boycott in a bid to bring down the Assad regime—but called for the Free Syrian Army to halt attacks on the security forces.
As Egypt’s military rulers say they will appoint a council to oversee the drafting of a new constitution to balance the influence of Islamists, pro-secular protesters demand a broad-based, all-civilian “national salvation” government.
Reports from Homs suggest an outbreak of sectarian killings, with numerous bodies—many tortured or mutilated—left on the streets. A pro-government militia called the Shabiha is apparently arming Alawite militants and attacking Sunni protesters.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay urged all sides in Yemen to cease ongoing deadly attacks and live up to previous commitments to investigate the serious human rights violations of its former government.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay urged the UN Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court for investigation into possible crimes against humanity committed by the Syrian government.
Nobel peace laureate Tawakkul Karman uged the International Criminal Court to conduct an investigation into the violent crackdown on dissent and alleged human rights violations by the country’s former president, Ali Abdullah Sakeh.
Customs employees at Adabiya Seaport in the Suez Canal Zone refused to allow a seven-ton shipment of tear gas to pass, and were detained for questioning by security officials. Two more such shipments are en route from Wilmington, Del.
New street clashes broke out in Cairo after a young protester was killed when he was run over by a police truck. An ongoing sit-in at the cabinet building has been launched to demand a civilian-led “national salvation government.”
Four men have been killed in protests this week by the Shi’ite minority in Saudi Arabia’s east, while protest leaders in Yemen rejected a deal for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down, saying it leaves his ruling structure intact.
Anonymous Israeli security officials told Haaretz newspaper they believe Turkey is preparing a military intervention in Syria, seeking to create a secure buffer zone on the border where armed opposition forces can operate.
