The Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) has expressed its welcome of the decision made by the International Court of Justice to consider, on October 10 and 11, a request from the Netherlands and Canada. This request calls for an order to be issued to the Assad regime, demanding the cessation of all acts of torture and arbitrary detention. This move is part of a case accusing the regime of violating the United Nations Convention against Torture.
SOC’s Vice President, Abdul Majeed Barakat, emphasized that this move, although delayed, establishes a fundamental foundation for holding the Assad regime internationally accountable for committing egregious crimes against the Syrian people.
He underscored the necessity of genuine international support for the decisions of the International Court of Justice to ensure their value and effectiveness. Such support is vital for protecting Syrian civilians from the crimes perpetrated by Assad and his terrorist militias.
According to Reuters, this hearing, set to take place at Al-Salam Palace, the court’s headquarters in The Hague, marks the first time in 12 years that an international court has examined violations in Syria.
The lawsuit, announced by the International Court of Justice last June, focuses primarily on torture and repression in the prisons of the Assad regime. Canada and the Netherlands accuse the regime of multiple violations of international law, dating back to at least 2011, starting with the violent suppression of civilian demonstrations.
The lawsuit also addresses chemical weapons attacks in Syria, describing them as “abhorrent practices” designed to instill fear and punish the civilian population, resulting in numerous fatalities, injuries, and severe physical and psychological suffering.
Of particular note in the Dutch-Canadian lawsuit is its call for the Court to take emergency measures to safeguard Syrians at risk of torture in Assad regime prisons, pending a decision on the presented case.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
