UN Human Rights Council passes resolution on Syria

The UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution Tuesday to launch an inquiry into human rights violations in Syria, amid growing international pressure over the Syrian government''s crackdown on protests. The resolution passed Tuesday on a 33-to-4 vote, with 9 abstentions, a spokeswoman for the organization said. The decision comes a day after the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said more than 2,200 people have been killed in Syria since mid-March, with more than 350 people reportedly killed since the start of Ramadan. A special session was called in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday to discuss the allegations of human rights violations in Syria. The meeting came after the United Nations sent a humanitarian mission to Syria over the weekend to look into the effects of President Bashar al-Assad''s protest crackdown.