Member of the political committee of the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC), Salim Al-Khatib, has welcomed the decision of the UN Human Rights Council to extend the mandate of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria for one more year. The resolution, labeled L.21, was presented by the United Kingdom on behalf of Germany, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Qatar, Türkiye, and the United States of America. Twenty-seven countries supported it, five opposed it, while fifteen abstained from voting.
In a press statement, Al-Khatib emphasized that the international community’s silence regarding Assad’s ongoing crimes has become unacceptable. He highlighted the complete inability of the United Nations to fulfill its responsibilities in protecting civilians and maintaining international peace and security. Al-Khatib noted that Assad’s crimes, many of which have been verified by local and international human rights organizations, include arbitrary arrests and killings under torture. He called for activating the work of the International, Impartial, and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) to hold the Assad regime and its symbols accountable for their brutal crimes against civilians.
The Human Rights Council resolution underscored the necessity to “ensure that all those responsible for human rights violations and abuses in Syria are held accountable.”
Paulo Pinheiro, the head of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria, stated that Syria “has become a more dangerous place to live.” He emphasized that the country is not safe for the return of refugees. Pinheiro highlighted violations committed by the Assad regime and Russia, including attacks on northwestern Syria, targeting schools, public markets, and camps for displaced people. He also mentioned the use of internationally banned cluster munitions, the bombing of hospitals, and reports of deaths during detention in the regime’s detention centers.
Pinheiro further added that the Assad regime obstructed efforts by families to locate their detained relatives and subjected them to blackmail. Additionally, the regime’s security services detained individuals who criticized decisions to lift government subsidies, including in areas supportive of the regime.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
