Overshadowing the special session, however, came newly verified reports of the deaths of a further 219 individuals at the hands of Syrian authorities between 27 and 19 April, which Alkarama communicated to the UN special procedures today. Since 20 March 2011, Alkarama has submitted 472 cases of extrajudicial killings to the UN human rights procedures - the total has now risen to 691 confirmed deaths.

The Human Rights Council has called upon the Syrian government to "immediately put an end to all human rights violations, protect its population, and respect fully all human rights and fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression and freedom of assembly; further urges the authorities to allow access to the Internet and telecommunications networks and to lift censorship on reporting, including by allowing appropriate access by foreign journalists."

Participation from Arab member states to the Human Right Council was relatively sparse during special session. Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain were all absent at the time of the vote, while Saudi Arabia and Djibouti both abstained. Perhaps the significant fact is that no Arab member state technically voted against the resolution.

The concerning aspect of the current human rights situation in Syria is not only limited to the number of killings carried about by the Syrian authorities, but the sheer volume and variety of human rights violations, including arbitrary detentions and persecution of journalists and human rights defenders working to report on the current situation. Alkarama has for example documented at least 1200 arrests since protests began in mid-March 2011.

As the situation becomes dangerously violative, Alkarama is now receiving reports that Syria hospitals and ambulances are being targeted by Syrian security agents. Many of the doctors have resorted to using veterinarian offices and make-shift surgery rooms to treat injured patients.

Despite international condemnation, the Syrian government has done very little to resolve the deteriorating human rights situation plaguing its cities. While some thought that the violence and suppression would subsist when Syria approved a bill to rescind the country's decades-old Emergency Law on 19 April 2011, the security services responded by targeting a funeral procession with lethal force, killing at least six, before attacking peaceful demonstrators in the capital Damascus, killing at least 100.