Yasser Dalwan, a Member of the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC), has underscored that the detainees’ issue must be considered non-negotiable. He criticized the international community’s notable failure to establish any agreement with the Assad regime for the release of detainees and disclosure of the fate of the forcibly disappeared.
Dalwan emphasized the haunting memories of the tortured individuals he encountered in prison, stating, “The voice of my friend, whom I met in cell No. 12 in the Assad regime’s Al-Khatib Prison, still rings in my ears, and his fate is still unknown.”
He reiterated that the detainee issue is fundamental, emphasizing that detainees are not mere numbers; each detainee has a family with parents, siblings, spouses, and children.
Dalwan stressed that the systematic arrests and forced disappearances against the Syrian people constitute a significant war crime, subject to punishment under international law and international humanitarian law. He called for the activation of the international mechanism to hold war criminals accountable in Syria.
Dalwan commended the actions of the Netherlands and Canada in filing a case against the Assad regime with the International Court of Justice regarding torture. He urged friendly countries to persist in this direction to achieve justice for the Syrian people and liberate them from their tormentors.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
