Secretary-General of the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC), Haytham Rahmeh, has strongly expressed his opposition to the United Nations’ request for the Assad regime to extend humanitarian access through the border crossings in northwestern Syria (Bab al-Salama and al-Raie) on the border with Turkey. Rahmeh emphasized that the region is under the control of the military forces of the revolution, and he firmly asserted that the UN should not seek permission from the Assad regime regarding the usage of these crossings.
Rahmeh described the Assad regime as genocidal, responsible for numerous condemned massacres. He stressed that the regime lacks legitimacy and fails to represent the Syrian people, asserting that it is the primary cause of the crises and disasters that have afflicted Syria for over a decade.
“The liberated areas have their own internationally recognized leadership, and it is completely unacceptable for the United Nations to show favoritism toward the Assad regime in this manner,” he added.
Rahmeh emphasized the urgent need to continue the cross-border delivery of humanitarian aid in larger quantities, particularly in light of the exacerbated human suffering following the earthquake on February 6, as well as the ongoing violations committed by the Assad regime and its allies.
In a separate context, Rahmeh raised concerns about the alarming situation unfolding in Lebanon with regards to Syrian refugees. He highlighted that many individuals who were forcibly deported to areas controlled by the Assad regime have been subjected to arrest and torture in the prisons of the criminal Assad regime.
Rahmeh called upon United Nations organizations and the international community to intervene and put an end to these forced deportations. He urged them to protect the rights of Syrian refugees in Lebanon and prevent them from being handed over to their oppressors. (Source: SOC’s Media Department)
