The Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) reaffirmed that no one will be absolved of the responsibility for the chemical attack the Assad regime carried out against the town of Douma in the Damascus suburbs in 2018. It stressed that “no one will be absolved of the responsibility for the crime, be it those who were involved in the implementation, planning, or covering it, nor will the international community be absolved of the responsibility to hold accountable those responsible.”
In a press release issued on Tuesday to mark the second anniversary of the chemical attack which took place on April 7, 2018, the SOC reaffirmed the responsibility of the international community for holding accountable those responsible for the use of chemical weapons in Syria.
“The continued international failure in this context represents a grave threat to international peace and security and will have dire consequences for decades to come. It is imperative, therefore, that the major state actors assume their responsibilities in this regard, both individually and collectively.”
The SOC went on to say that “Russia’s obstruction of justice in this issue should not absolve the rest of the parties from assuming their responsibilities, especially as the threat continues to exist.”
“The crime of using chemical weapons in Syria is inseparable from the rest of the crimes involving the use of other types of weapons. The Assad regime continues with the killing, besiegement, detention, and tortures of Syrians by conventional and non-conventional means,” add the SOC.
Moreover, the SOC said that “the Syrian people have the right to demand the enforcement of the law on everyone. The international community should shoulder its responsibilities with regards to the war crimes and crimes against humanity taking place in Syria as well as the violations of international treaties that prohibit and criminalize the use of chemical weapons. The UN Security Council must also assume its responsibility to enforce its resolutions in this regard, chief among them is resolution 2118.”
It also reaffirmed “the importance of activating Article 21 of Resolution 2118 regarding the taking of concrete measures against the Assad regime under Chapter VII. The Douma chemical attack opens the door for this crucial step.” (Source: SOC’s Media Department)
