Canada and the Netherlands take Syria to top UN court. They accuse Damascus of widespread torture

By MIKE CORDER
Associated Press

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Syria has boycotted a hearing at the UN’s highest court, where the Netherlands and Canada are accusing Damascus of “institutionalized” use of torture. The two countries say that since 2011, “Syrians have been tortured, murdered, sexually assaulted, forcibly disappeared and subjected to chemical weapon attacks on a mass scale.” Two days of hearings opened on Tuesday at the International Court of Justice. They focus on the Dutch and Canadian request for judges to issue an interim order for Syria to “immediately cease the torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of its people,” while the case proceeds through the world court. The case is likely to take years.