Participants in the second expanded meeting of the Syrian opposition in the Saudi capital Riyadh stressed that there should be no place for Bashar al-Assad and his clique at the start of the transitional period in Syria.
The second day of the meeting saw the adoption of a final communiqué, in which participants reaffirmed commitment to the positions and stances of the revolution and opposition forces which were outlined by the enormous sacrifices made by the Syrian people and as was stipulated in the Geneva Communique of 2012 regarding the establishment of a transitional governing body that is capable of providing an appropriate environment for the launch of the transition process.
Participants stressed that “it is essential to ensure the implementation of the transitional process in a way that ensures the safety of everyone in an atmosphere of security, stability and calm. This cannot be achieved without the departure of Bashar al-Assad and his clique as well as the regime of repression and tyranny at the start of the transitional period.”
Moreover, participants stressed that Bashar al-Assad and the pillars of his regime committed war crimes against the Syrian people which should be punishable under international law and international humanitarian law. They underscored the need to refer all perpetrators of war crimes in Syria to the International Criminal Court.
The final communique noted that the participants’ goal is to unite forces of the revolution and the opposition around a common vision for a political solution based on the Geneva Communiqué of 2012 and Security Council resolutions 2118 and 2254 in order to lay the groundwork for a transitional stage leading the country to a democratic, civil, pluralistic, political system that is based on justice and equality.
Participants also reaffirmed commitment to the integrity of the Syrian territory and the sovereignty of the state throughout all of its territory as they expressed their commitment that Syria is a multi-national, multicultural state.
The final communiqué called on the United Nations and the international community to enforce the UN Security Council resolutions on Syria, to work immediately and seriously to implement the resolutions on the release of detainees, to lift the sieges on the besieged areas, to allow humanitarian aid to reach those in need, enable the refugees and displaced persons to return to their homes, firmly and effectively implement the ‘de-escalation zones’ agreement, and put and end to the regime and its allies’ violations of these agreements. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)
