Syria’s Assad and Russia’s Putin should be sanctioned for possible war crimes, says human-rights group

Report identifies 10 senior civilian and military officials who it says may be implicated in crimes against humanity

Civilians flee from Idlib in February during a year-long military campaign by Syrian and Russian forces (AP)

Governments should impose sanctions on President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, Russia’s President Putin and senior military officials for their involvement in possible war crimes in Syria’s Idlib, Human Rights Watch says in a new report.   

The document, entitled Targeting Life in Idlib, investigates 46 attacks between March last year and March this year that killed hundreds of civilians in the war-ravaged northern province.   

It identifies 10 senior Syrian and Russian civilian and military officials, including Mr Assad and Mr Putin , who may be implicated in war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the year-long campaign.