The United States, Great Britain, France and Germany, all major NATO member states, on Sunday issued a joint statement marking the ninth anniversary of the Syrian revolution, calling on the Assad regime and its backers to stop their atrocities in Syria.
The statement said that “nine years ago today, 10s of thousands of Syrians peacefully took to the streets calling for respect for human rights and the end of government corruption. Instead of heeding the Syrian people’s legitimate demands, the Assad regime responded with a ruthless campaign of arbitrary arrests, detentions, torture, enforced disappearances, and violence.”
“We will continue to demand accountability for the atrocities committed by the Assad regime and we will continue our efforts to make sure that those who are responsible for crimes against humanity, war crimes, and other violations and abuses are identified and held accountable.”
The statement went on to say that “the Assad regime must accept the will of the Syrian people who demand and deserve to live in peace and free of shelling, chemical weapons attacks, barrel bombs, airstrikes, arbitrary detention, torture, and starvation.”
“In its latest bloody assault on Idlib, the Assad regime, backed by Russia and Iran, has displaced nearly one million civilians since December alone, the fastest displacement since the start of the conflict. For the latest ceasefire in northwest Syria to endure, a nationwide ceasefire must be established as called for in UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2254.”
Echoing similar remarks, US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, said in comments he published on Twitter on Sunday: “Nine years ago today the Syrian people began peaceful protests calling for the Assad regime to recognize their basic rights and dignity. The people of Syria deserve to live in peace free from airstrikes, chemical weapons attacks, barrel bombs, detention, torture, and starvation.”
The Syrian revolution entered its tenth year, completing nine years of killing and destruction at the hands of the Assad regime and its backers. From day one, the Assad regime pursued a bloody military solution, killing hundreds of thousands of civilians. A brutal onslaught by the Assad regime and its Russian backer on northwestern Syria has forced hundreds of thousands of civilians out of their homes in recent months. (Source: SOC’s Media Department)
