Abdel Majid Barakat, member of the Syrian National Coalition’s political committee, called on the countries hosting Syrian refugees to file lawsuits against the Assad regime before the International Criminal Court to punish it for the widespread war crimes against civilians.
Barakat pointed out that the signatory states to the Rome Convention can file lawsuits before the International Criminal Court against the Assad regime which committed the crimes of deportation and forced displacement on the territory of these countries. He added that the Pre-Trial Chamber of the International Criminal Court ruled that the ICC can exercise jurisdiction over the mass displacement of the Rohingya minority from Myanmar to Bangladesh in 2018.
Moreover, Barakat pointed out that this is the first judicial case resembling the situation in Syria. “We can take this case and press the host countries which are parties to the Rome Statute to take the same procedures.”
Barakat urged the Turkish government to initiate an action against the Assad regime as it hosts the largest percentage of Syrian refugees on its territory. He warned that “Article 12 of the Rome Statute made it clear that the states that have not signed but ratified the jurisdiction of the ICC can file such lawsuits, which applies to Turkey.” (Source: Syrian National Coalition’s Media Department)
