Abdul Majeed Barakat, Vice President of the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC), commended the initiation of hearings at the International Court of Justice on Tuesday, following a case brought forth by Canada and the Netherlands against the Assad regime, accusing it of widespread torture. He emphasized the significance of this development, even though it has been a long time coming.
In an interview with the Turkish newspaper Diriliş Postası, Barakat highlighted that international organizations specializing in legal matters often respond tardily when addressing Syrian legal issues. This includes matters such as the plight of detainees, those who lost their lives in Assad regime prisons, and humanitarian concerns such as the regime’s use of chemical weapons.
Barakat further noted that despite the passage of twelve years since the start of the Syrian Revolution, no coordinated legal measures have been taken to rein in Assad’s conduct or to hold him accountable for the crimes committed over the past twelve years.
He underscored the importance of the lawsuits presented at the International Court of Justice, asserting that such action has been a longstanding demand since the inception of the revolution. He also pointed out that there are hundreds of thousands of detainees, as well as individuals who lost their lives in regime prisons, who were unable to bring their voices to the attention of international courts while awaiting the prosecution of those responsible for these crimes.
Barakat emphasized that the legal aspect is of utmost importance and that politicizing this issue could harm the overall Syrian situation. He stressed the need for genuine political will to accompany the legal actions being taken.
He also emphasized that the legal aspect requires political support to yield meaningful results and ensure that the rights of Syrians in general, including the millions of Syrians who have been displaced, killed under torture, or who remain in regime prisons and detention centers, are not forgotten or lost.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
