Strasbourg, France, Jan 28, 2016 / 16:37 pm
Europe's leading human rights body passed a resolution on Wednesday calling ISIS atrocities a "genocide," a week before the European Parliament will vote on a similar resolution.
"States should act on the presumption that Da'ish commits genocide," read a statement passed by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. "Da'ish" is another name for the Islamic State (ISIS).
The resolution passed overwhelmingly, with 117 votes for and only one against.
The council is a regional group of 47 member states encompassing a population of 820 million. It is Europe's leading promoter of human rights and democracy, as well as an important partner with the European Union. The resolution's passage is therefore significant, as the European Parliament will vote on a similar resolution next week on the plight of religious minorities in the Middle East at the hands of ISIS.