Syrian human rights organizations have issued a joint statement urging caution in the aftermath of the recent earthquake, warning against the Assad regime’s potential use of the disaster as an opportunity to evade justice.
The statement highlighted the long-standing issue of aid politicization by the Assad regime, citing numerous international and local human rights reports which demonstrate its looting of UN and international aid.
The organizations also emphasized the Assad regime’s responsibility for the displacement and killing of millions of Syrians over the course of 12 years, with ongoing violations including enforced disappearances and torture.
The statement emphasized that any attempt to restore relations or rehabilitate the Assad regime amounts to supporting a regime guilty of crimes against humanity, which violates international law. The organizations also condemn Russia’s repeated use of its veto to block humanitarian aid into Syria.
The statement concluded by calling for the international community to avoid using the humanitarian catastrophe of the earthquake as a means of political investment, and not to tolerate violations committed by the regime and its sponsors.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
