Earlier this month, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay [official profile] urged [statement] the international community to take steps to protect civilian lives in Syria [JURIST report], where more than 3,000 civilians have been killed since protests against the government began. This statement followed a report from a UN commission urging [statement] Syrian authorities to allow human rights experts to conduct an investigation [JURIST report] into allegations of human rights violations. In August, Pillay called on the UN Security Council to refer Syria to the International Criminal Court (ICC) [official websites] to investigate the violent suppression of anti-government protests [JURIST report]. Pillay's remarks came after the Fact-finding Mission in Syria published its 22-page report concluding that Syrian government forces cracking down on the opposition may be committing crimes against humanity [JURIST report]. The Fact-finding Mission was established [JURIST report] by the UN Human Rights Council [official website] in April but was not permitted to enter the country.