The Syrian Coalition called upon the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) to form a special task force, similar to the humanitarian and cessation of hostilities task forces, to deal with the issue of Syrian detainees and forcibly disappeared persons as well as to ensure the implementation of article 12 of UNSCR 2254 and the recommendations of the COI on Syria dated 27 January 2016.
In a letter by President of the Syrian Coalition Anas Alabdah to the ISSG ahead of its meeting in Vienna on Tuesday, the Coalition called on the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to act as a guarantor to oversee the implementation of the agreement reached between the Assad regime and detainees in Hama Central Prison.
The letter demanded guarantees to protect detainees in the prison from regime reprisals against them or their families, adding that the plight of the detainees of Hama Central Prison constitutes the tip of the iceberg in the continued tragedy of Syrian detainees.
The Coalition also called on ISSG to work to guarantee that any political settlement reached in Syria involves assurances as to holding accountable those responsible for human rights violations and systematic torture and executions against Syrian detainees with the aim of combating the culture of impunity currently present in Syria and to lay the foundations for a new era based on justice and the rule of law.
Moreover, the Coalition demanded that ISSG put pressure on the Assad regime to immediately stop haphazard execution verdicts, abolish the court of terrorism and stop referring civilian detainees to military courts.
The letter also called for facilitating regular and repeated access of international independent inspection missions to civil prisons, detention centers, security centers and secret prisons.
The file of detainees in Syria is one of the most critical humanitarian issues, the letter said. Tens of thousands of detainees pay dearly everyday as serious efforts to reach concrete solutions for their situation are delayed, the letter added.
The Coalition said that it counts on the support of good friends in the ISSG to meet the legitimate demands of detainees and prisoners of conscience in Syria. (Source: Syrian Coalition)
