The Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) welcomed the second report issued by the OPCW Investigation and Identification Team (IIT) as it renewed the calls for international action based on Chapter VII of the UN Charter as required by UN Security Council Resolution 2118.
In a press release issued on Tuesday, the SOC said that the new report confirmed, as was the case with the previous one, that the Assad regime forces deliberately used chemical weapons. The report said that there are “reasonable grounds to believe” that an Assad air force helicopter dropped a chlorine cylinder on the northwestern town of Saraqib in February 2018.
“The two reports, issued a year apart, year, came out with the same results. It behooves parties of the international community who are truly committed to international security and stability, and the international actors, to assume their responsibilities and take the necessary measures to hold the perpetrators accountable and prevent the recurrence of such crimes,” the SOC added.
The SOC also said that it has repeatedly stressed the responsibility of the international community with regards to the prosecution, accountability and punishment of those responsible for the use of chemical weapons in Syria. It warnd of the nature of the messages that the continued international inaction carries to the regime and to the rest of the authoritarian regimes around the world. It also warns of the danger that all this inaction poses to international peace and security, international law, and the future and weight of the UN Security Council. (Source: SOC’s Media Department)
