President of the Syrian Coalition Abdurrahman Mustafa said that the Assad regime “will not change its criminal behavior,” reiterating that any attempt to return the Syrian refugees to the regime-held areas would be like “sending them to certain death.”
President Mustafa on Wednesday said that the Coalition had already warned the international community of the dangers facing returning Syrian refugees to the regime-held areas before the establishment of a safe and neutral environment as was stipulated by international resolutions on Syria.
President Mustafa cited the recent statements by Lebanese Minister of State for Refugee Affairs Mouin Merehbi about the Assad regime’s execution of a Syrian family after they had returned to their home in Homs province. He stressed that “Merehbi’s announcement has added to our worries and our experience with the regime and the Iranian terrorist militias.” He noted that the return of more refugees is the responsibility of the Lebanese government, adding that such move will be like sending them to certain death.
“We know that the Assad regime will not change its criminal behavior,” President Mustafa said, expressing surprise at the countries that “were deceived and want to convince others to rehabilitate the Assad regime and reengage with it.”
President Mustafa called for the launch of international investigations into the execution of returning Syrian refugees from Lebanon in order to expose all criminals and ensure accountability before the International Criminal Court.
Merehbi said that he had information about Syrian refugees who had been killed after they returned to their country in June. He added that the latest of these killings took place last week against a family in the border village of Al-Barouha in rural Homs. He cited a source inside Syria as telling him that Assad regime’s security officials stormed the family’s house and killed the father, his son and a nephew. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)
