UN rights chief seeks special court on Sri Lanka civil war atrocities including foreign judges

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Raad al-Hussein of Jordan speaks on the UN Human Rights Office report on Sri Lanka during a press conference at the European headquarters of the United Nations, in Geneva, Switzerland, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2015. Zeid is urging the creation of a special court to look into atrocities committed during Sri Lanka's long civil war, which left tens of thousands dead. (Martial Trezzini/Keystone via AP) (The Associated Press)

GENEVA – The U.N.'s top human rights official is urging the creation of a special court including foreign magistrates and investigators to look into atrocities committed during Sri Lanka's civil war.

Unveiling a long-awaited report aimed at helping Sri Lanka reconcile, Zeid Raad al-Hussein pointed to "horrific" abuses including torture, executions, sexual abuse by security forces; and suicide attacks, assassinations and recruitment of child soldiers by rebels.

The report comes as the United States prepares to co-sponsor a resolution at the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva seeking to improve accountability in Sri Lanka.

Rights groups and some governments want an international investigation, but Sri Lanka has resisted. The quarter-century civil war ended in 2009 when government forces defeated Tamil Tiger rebels. The U.N. estimates that at least 80,000 people were killed.