Damascus: Public executions, amputations, lashings and mock crucifixion have become a regular fixture in jihadist-controlled areas of Syria, a UN-mandated probe charged Wednesday, also accusing Damascus of repeatedly using chemical weapons against civilians.
“In areas of Syria under (Islamic State) control, particularly in the north and northeast of the country, Fridays are regularly marked by executions, amputations and lashings in public squares,” the independent Commission of Inquiry on the human rights situation in Syria said.
Jihadists from the group now calling itself the Islamic State (IS) are also pushing residents, including children, to attend public executions by beheading or a shot to the head, it said.
“Executions in public spaces have become a common spectacle on Fridays in (IS power-base) Raqqa and in (IS)-controlled areas of Aleppo governorate,” said the commission, which includes legendary former war crimes prosecutor Carla del Ponte.
