An official in the Syrian Coalition said that the manner in which Moscow organized the Sochi Conference reflected its vision of the future Syrian state, which is based on the continuation of dictatorial rule, the empowerment of criminals, and the hijacking of the will of the Syrian people.
“We cannot describe what happened during the Sochi conference but as a charade as it did not meet the minimum standards set by the United Nations for democracy and the people’s right to freely express themselves,” said Mohamed Yahya Maktabi, Secretary of the Coalition’s political committee.
Maktabi pointed out that the way Moscow organized the conference demonstrated its vision for the future Syria, stressing that Moscow wants Syria to be “subject to Russia and robbed of its will.”
Maktabi condemned the existence of such a large number of invitees who he described as puppets similar to those comprising the so-called People’s Assembly of the Assad regime. He also denounced the invitation of criminals who are responsible for war crimes in Syria, most notably Miraç Ora who is on the wanted list in Turkey and the mastermind of massacres against civilians in the Syrian town of Baniyas.
Maktabi also rejected Moscow’s attempts to undermine the will of the Syrian people and to impose conditions on them as well to monopolize efforts to reach a political solution in Syria. He called on the United Nations to enforce the resolutions it passed on Syria, most importantly the Geneva Communique of 2012 and UN Security Council resolution 2254 calling for full political transition in Syria. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)