United Nations, Muharram 18, 1433, Dec 13, 2011, SPA - The U.N. high commissioner for human rights, Navi Pillay, on Monday told the U.N. Security Council that the death toll in Syria now exceeds 5,000 since a government crackdown against protesters began in March. Pillay also said the “systematic nature” of the killings, torture, and detention amount to crimes against humanity and recommended the council refer the situation to the International Criminal Court. Speaking to reporters after the closed door briefing, Britain’s U.N. envoy, Mark Lyall-Grant, said it was “the most horrifying briefing the council has heard in two years.” France’s U.N. envoy Gerard Araud said that it was important for the Security Council to lend its support to Arab League efforts on Syria. He stressed that military action was not an option for Syria, but diplomatic action was needed. --SPA 10:53 LOCAL TIME 07:53 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/951958