The Syrian Coalition’s representative to Norway Hanan al-Balkhi called for holding Bashar al-Assad and his regime accountable for the crimes they committed in Syria. She stressed that this would be a crucial step to achieve transitional justice in Syria.
Balkhi made her remarks during a visit to the Caesar Photo Exhibit held in Geneva earlier today. The photo exhibit showcased photos showing detainees killed under torture in Assad’s prisons. The photos were smuggled out of Syria by the defected military photographer codenamed Caesar in 2013. Caesar managed to smuggle 55,000 photos of 11,000 detainees killed under torture in Assad’s prisons.
The photo exhibit was attended by a number of Syrian Coalition members, the opposition’s High Negotiation Committee, and representatives of countries of the Friends of Syria group.
Balkhi called upon the international community to work seriously and immediately to release detainees in Assad’s prisons, especially children and women. She said that victims appearing in these photos are not just numbers documented by human rights groups, but are human beings who are grieved for by their loved ones. She stressed the need for achieving transitional justice in Syria as an essential step towards building future Syria. (Source: Syrian Coalition)