Houla:Investigations

Syrian Government Judicial Investigation Committee on al-Houla Massacre

 * Initial report June 1: http://www.sana.sy/eng/21/2012/06/01/422804.htm
 * Follow-up citing eyewitnesses June 2: http://www.sana.sy/eng/337/2012/06/02/422915.htm
 * Final report: ?

UNSMIS
Following their visit to the scene in the days after the events, the UNSMIS observer mission under General Mood conducted an investigation. A report was given to UN headquarters but has never been released to the public. In a press conference on June 15, Mood gave the following remarks:


 * The statement we issued after el Houla is still valid. Which means we have been there with an investigating team. We have interviews, interviewed locals with one story, and we have interviewed locals that has another story. The circumstances leading up to el Houla and the detailed circumstances, the facts related to the incident itself, still remains unclear to us. We have put this together, the facts that we (can) could establish by what we saw on the ground. We have put together the statements, the witness interviews and we have sent that as a report to UN headquarters, New York. And then the assessment on what’s the way forward. Will there be a different investigation? (This-ed) is a matter for headquarters in this context. But if we are asked, obviously we are on the ground, and could help facilitate that.

Documents

 * Statement by General Mood cited above, June 15: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ViUVJYGT_8
 * Video from Observer visit on May 26, uploaded by UNSMIS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1QOKoDkds4
 * Video from Observer visit on May 27, uploaded by UNSMIS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFlGhezjodI
 * UNSMIS report (S/2012/523) containing minor information about observer visit to Houla (pages 3-4), published July 6, 2012: http://daccess-ods.un.org/access.nsf/Get?Open&DS=S/2012/523&Lang=E&Area=UNDOC

UN Human Rights Council
While the "Oral Update" of this investigation remained undecided about the perpetrators, the final report released three weeks later - without note-worthy additional research -, concluded that the Government/Shabiha were most likely responsible for the massacre in Houla. An on-ground investigation did not take place, despite the offer of UNSMIS to conduct it. From the final report:


 * The lack of access significantly hampered the commission’s ability to fulfill its mandate. Its access to Government officials and to members of the armed and security forces was negligible. Importantly, victims and witnesses inside the country could not be interviewed in person.

Documents

 * UNHRC "Oral Update", published on June 27, 2012: http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/RegularSession/Session20/COI_OralUpdate_A.HRC.20.CRP.1.pdf
 * UNHRC Final report with additional findings, published August 15, 2012: http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/RegularSession/Session21/A-HRC-21-50.doc