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UN human rights council holds emergency Syria session Syria unrest: UK photographer Paul Conroy out of Homs
(40 minutes later)
The United Nations Human Rights Council is holding an emergency session as the security and humanitarian situation in Syria continues to deteriorate. British Sunday Times photographer Paul Conroy has been evacuated from the besieged Syrian city of Homs and is in neighbouring Lebanon.
Members will discuss a report by UN human rights investigators that names Syrian officials they believe are responsible for atrocities. He was smuggled out of the Baba Amr district on Monday with help from the Syrian opposition and Free Syria Army fighters, diplomats told the BBC.
But China and Russia are expected to block calls for action against Syria. The whereabouts of the French Le Figaro journalist Edith Bouvier remain unclear.
Meanwhile diplomats say that injured UK photographer Paul Conroy has been evacuated safely from Homs to Lebanon. The two were wounded in an attack on a building in Homs last Wednesday.
He was smuggled out of the besieged city with the assistance of the Syrian opposition and Free Syria Army fighters in a process that started on Monday afternoon. Their colleagues, American Sunday Times journalist Marie Colvin and French photographer Remi Ochlik, were killed.
Reuters news agency cited Syrian opposition sources as saying that fellow journalist Edith Bouvier is also safe in Lebanon but this has not been confirmed. The Syrian Red Crescent said earlier that it had reached Baba Amr on Monday, bringing out three Syrians, including a pregnant woman, her husband and an elderly female patient but had been unable to bring out the Western journalists.
Earlier, it was reported that Homs had again come under heavy bombardment, with the government sending in units of an elite armoured division into rebel-held districts to try to end the three-week-long offensive. Reports on Tuesday say Homs has come under some of its heaviest bombardment yet, with the government sending in units of an elite armoured division into rebel-held districts to try to end the three-week-long offensive.
The Syrian Red Crescent said it was able to reach the worst-hit suburb, Baba Amr, on Monday, bringing out three Syrians, including a pregnant woman, her husband and an elderly female patient. It comes as the United Nations Human Rights Council is set to hold an emergency session in Geneva to discuss the deteriorating humanitarian and security situation in Syria.
But the group then said it had failed to bring out Mr Conroy and Ms Bouvier. They were injured in an attack last Wednesday that claimed the lives of American Sunday Times journalist Marie Colvin and French photographer Remi Ochlik.
'Warning shot''Warning shot'
Diplomats gathering in Geneva for Tuesday's meeting of the UNHCR have warned that those responsible for the violence in Syria will be brought to justice. Mr Conroy's father, Les, confirmed reports that his 47-year-old photographer son was safe in Lebanon.
"We've just had word from Beirut. I've got it on the other phone in my other hand," he was quoted by the Press Association as saying.
In a video posting on YouTube a few days ago, Mr Conroy had said he received "three large wounds" to his leg and was being treated by Free Syria Army medical staff.
Ms Bouvier was more seriously wounded, suffering multiple leg fractures. Some reports on Tuesday suggested she too had been smuggled into Lebanon along with Mr Conroy, but other reports said she may not have been evacuated from Baba Amr.
The Syrian government appears to have stepped up its offensive against the rebels across the country - sending forces into several towns in northern Syria for the first time.
As many as 125 people died across Syria on Monday, many of them in a single incident at a checkpoint in Homs, the Local Co-ordination Committees (LCC), an activists' group said. However, it is difficult to independently verify the death tolls and individual incidents as media access across the country is tightly restricted.
Members of the UNHCR are due to discuss a confidential report that names Syrian officials believed to be responsible for atrocities.
French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said: "The task of the council is to express the disgust of the entire world at the odious crimes that the Syrian state is committing against its people."French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said: "The task of the council is to express the disgust of the entire world at the odious crimes that the Syrian state is committing against its people."
He urged the 47 nations in the council to be prepared to submit a complaint against Syria to the International Criminal Court in The Hague. He has urged the 47 nations in the council to be prepared to submit a complaint against Syria to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
But British Foreign Secretary William Hague admitted Russia and China - who previously vetoed a UN Security Council resolution on Syria - were a "major blockage" to any real progress, so a referral to the ICC is unlikely to be made imminently. But British Foreign Secretary William Hague has admitted Russia and China - who previously vetoed a UN Security Council resolution on Syria - are a "major blockage" to any real progress, so a referral to the ICC is unlikely to be made imminently.
A UN panel of experts last week delivered a confidential list of Syrian army officers and government officials who could be investigated for crimes against humanity.A UN panel of experts last week delivered a confidential list of Syrian army officers and government officials who could be investigated for crimes against humanity.
Their report found that Syria had become increasingly militarised, and they accused security forces of gross and systematic human rights violations.Their report found that Syria had become increasingly militarised, and they accused security forces of gross and systematic human rights violations.
"The day will come when the civilian and military authorities in Syria, in particular President Assad himself, will need to answer for their actions," Mr Juppe said."The day will come when the civilian and military authorities in Syria, in particular President Assad himself, will need to answer for their actions," Mr Juppe said.
The BBC's Jim Muir, who is watching events in Syria from Lebanon, said a threat of ICC referral sent a warning shot across the bows of the Syrian leadership that it may be held accountable by the international community for what is happening in the country.The BBC's Jim Muir, who is watching events in Syria from Lebanon, said a threat of ICC referral sent a warning shot across the bows of the Syrian leadership that it may be held accountable by the international community for what is happening in the country.
And given what is happening in other Arab countries, it could have some small effect, our correspondent says. But the Syrian regime is fighting for survival and is not going to pay attention to paper statements from Geneva, New York or anywhere else, he adds.And given what is happening in other Arab countries, it could have some small effect, our correspondent says. But the Syrian regime is fighting for survival and is not going to pay attention to paper statements from Geneva, New York or anywhere else, he adds.
The Syrian government appeared to step up its offensive over the rebels across the country on Monday - sending forces into several towns in northern Syria for the first time.
The Local Co-ordination Committees (LCC), an activists' group which organises and documents protests, said a total of 125 people died across Syria, many of them in a single incident at a checkpoint in Homs, on Monday.
It is difficult to independently verify the death tolls and individual incidents as media access across the country is tightly restricted.