[JURIST] Amnesty International (AI) [advocacy website] on Tuesday condemned [press release] both the Syrian Assad Regime and anti-government rebels for committing human rights abuses and war crimes in the Syrian city of Aleppo. AI’s 74-page report [materials], based on interviews with current and former residents of Aleppo, documents “unthinkable atrocities” in the city, including the systematic use of barrel bombs to kill civilians and destroy city infrastructure. AI’s Middle East and North Africa director, Phillip Luther, commented on the widespread atrocities, indicating that the “vicious and unrelenting aerial bombardment of civilian neighborhoods by government forces have made life for civilians in Aleppo increasingly unbearable.” AI called for both sides of the conflict, as well as the Syrian government, to be held accountable for their violations of international human rights law.

The Syrian conflict [BBC report] is entering its fifth year [JURIST report], and has already seen almost 200,000 Syrians lose their lives in a civil war based around the legitimacy of President Bashar al-Assad [BBC report]. The conflict in Syria has had devastating effects on the general population as a result of the extreme measures taken by both sides. In March a UN rights group expressed concern [JURIST report] about atrocities and abuses in Syria by both the Assad regime and anti-government armed groups. In February of last year, human rights experts under the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights [official website] alleged [JURIST report] that both camps were committing crimes against humanity, denying civilians basic necessities of life and humanitarian aid. One month later, a panel of UN human rights experts presented a report [JURIST report] that depicted the Syrian rebel practice of “execution fields” where mass killings were committed through the use of barrel bomb attacks. In April of last year the human rights chief stated that the Syrian government’s human rights abuses far outweighed [JURIST report] those of the rebels.