UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al Hussein [official profile] cautioned [press release] Russia Tuesday against the continued use of incendiary weapons in the fight for Aleppo. At issue is the use of incendiary weapons during airstrikes carried out in aide of the Syrian offensive. Zeid said that airstrikes often strike innocent civilians causing irreparable harm to communities. He stated that there is no reason for the use of such devices, including provocation. The commissioner was particularly concerned with facilities such as hospitals and trauma facilities being destroyed.

The use of weapons with indiscriminate effects—such as incendiary weapons—in heavily populated areas is of particularly grave concern. I remind all State parties to Protocol III of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, including the Russian Federation, that they are strictly prohibited from using incendiary weapons in airstrikes on heavily populated areas, and that the use of such weapons by ground forces is severely restricted.

The commissioner warned that not only could the use of weapons be a violation of international law, it could possibly cost the country its veto power on the security council.

The use of these weapons have been an ongoing human rights issue. A UN children’s rights expert on Monday stated [JURIST report] that Syria’s continued infliction of harm on children is a “brutal abdication of human rights obligations they have committed to respect.” Attacks in Aleppo, Syria’s capital, were called [JURIST report] a “breach of international humanitarian law” in a joint statement by EU officials in September. UN representatives stated[JURIST report] in September that the organization needs access to Syrian refugees in order to better document war crimes.