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Arrest the torturers

Dear friends,

A new Avaaz report reveals that Syria's murderous regime is torturing peaceful demonstrators, pulling out their toenails and fingernails and electrocuting them. We can push the UN to refer Syria's brutal dictator Bashar al-Assad to the International Criminal Court to be tried for crimes against humanity. Let's build a massive global outcry:

This is hard to report, but Avaaz’s own members are being tortured by Syria’s monstrous regime. Manhal* reports that he was held in a secret prison where they pulled out his fingernails and toenails and electrocuted his body parts. "I have seen death, and I’ve been tortured nearly to death," he's told us. But if we act now, we can make Manhal's sacrifice the last straw that turns the whole world against the Assad regime.

The Arab League’s observers have failed to stop the brutal crackdown, but pressure on Assad is mounting. Avaaz has just released a terrifying report revealing the scale of Syria’s detention facilities, including what they did to Manhal. If we build a massive global outcry now, we can force key governments to confront the horrors in this report and accelerate the end of Assad.

Sign the petition right now, and when we reach 500,000 signatures we’ll deliver it along with Avaaz’s report to the Arab League and the United Nations Security Council, demanding they refer Assad to the International Criminal Court to be tried for crimes against humanity:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/arrest_syrias_torturers/?vl

The UN has already stated that there have been crimes against humanity in Syria. Now the regime is being dealt its next critical blow -- a harrowing report compiled by Avaaz’s brave Syrian activists making the final link that those crimes against humanity were committed by high-level members of the Assad regime. No other report has detailed high-level links to regime torture to this extent -- it could be our best chance to get the world to act.

We all had hoped that the Arab League’s monitoring mission could stop the violence, but they have been compromised and discredited. Despite witnessing Assad’s snipers first-hand, the monitors have just extended their observation period without a call for urgent action. This is allowing countries like Russia, China and India to stall the United Nations from taking action, while the regime’s pathetic defense for its despicable acts has been that it is fighting a terrorist insurgency, not a peaceful democracy movement. But reports like the one Avaaz is releasing put the lie to this corrupt and atrocious regime. Now we just need the world to witness the horrors it contains.

The time could be up for Assad if we raise a deafening wave of public pressure to tip the scales. Let’s unite the world to demand that the UN Security Council refer the brutal Syrian regime to the International Criminal Court to be tried for crimes against humanity. Sign now and tell everyone:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/arrest_syrias_torturers/?vl

Across the Arab world, people power has toppled dictator after dictator, and our amazing Avaaz community has been at the heart of these struggles for democracy, breaking the media blackouts imposed by corrupt leaders, empowering citizen journalists, providing vital emergency relief to communities under siege, and helping protect hundreds of activists and their families from regime thugs. Let’s not let Manhal’s suffering for freedom be in vain. Let’s demand the UN take action now.

With hope and determination,

Luis, Ian, Maria Paz, Ricken, Emma, Stephanie, Wissam, Heather and the whole Avaaz team

* - “Manhal’s” name has been changed to protect his identity.

SOURCES

Avaaz Detention Facilities Report

http://avaazimages.s3.amazonaws.com/DetentionCentresinSyria.pdf

US slams Syria violence, says 'past time' for UN action (AFP)

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i2gQpPoA7F-2VGwtTsr1faniJwdA?docId=CNG.3ec81592b40bb5358c1575a97cd5b5ce.a1

France’s Sarkozy says Syrian president must quit after ‘massacres’ committed by his regime (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/arab-league-calls-emergency-meeting-to-decide-whether-to-withdraw-its-monitors-from-syria/2012/01/03/gIQApRQpXP_story.html

U.S. says Syria not living up to Arab League deal (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/03/us-syria-usa-idUSTRE80219K20120103