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                    HRW: Syria Must Stop Illegal Demolitions

   Human Rights Watch is calling on the Syrian government to make a
   commitment during peace talks with the opposition to end what the group
   says are illegal demolitions.
   In a report Thursday, Human Rights Watch details demolitions in the
   central city of Hama and areas in and around Damascus during 2012 and
   2013.
   It says the affected neighborhoods are widely considered opposition
   strongholds, and that the demolitions "appeared to intentionally punish
   the civilian population."
   The group based the report on satellite imagery analysis and interviews
   with witnesses and people whose houses were razed. It says the
   demolitions covered the equivalent of 200 football fields, including
   multi-story apartment buildings.
   Human Rights Watch wants the government to compensate those who lost
   homes.
   The report cites explanations from government officials and
   pro-government media saying the demolitions were carried out because of
   illegal constructions or urban planning efforts. But it says witnesses
   and other officials linked the demolitions to the ongoing violence.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/hrw-syria-must-stop-illegal-demolitio
   ns/1840697.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/hrw-syria-must-stop-illegal-demolitions/1840697.html