War-Crimes Prosecutor, Frustrated at U.N. Inaction, Quits Panel on Syria

"For six years, an independent United Nations-appointed panel has documented a litany of war atrocities in Syria that have grown increasingly brazen: torture of prisoners, attacks on hospitals, sexual slavery.

On Sunday, the panel confirmed that one of its three members - Carla del Ponte, a Swiss prosecutor - had resigned.

Speaking by phone from Ticino, Switzerland, late Sunday, Ms. del Ponte said she had hoped the Security Council would either refer the case in Syria to the International Criminal Court or set up a special tribunal. 'I was expecting to persuade the Security Council to do something for justice,' she said. 'Nothing happened for seven years. Now I resigned.'

Ms. del Ponte said she hoped her resignation would nudge the world body to act. 'We are going nowhere,' she said...

Only the Security Council has the authority to refer the conflict to the International Criminal Court. That is unlikely, as Russia, a permanent veto-wielding member of the Security Council, backs the government of President Bashar al-Assad and has directly intervened in the war..."