The Syrian National Coalition welcomed the recent move by the United Nations to launch a probe into the Assad regime and Russia’s attacks on hospitals and other vital civilian centers in Idlib and rural Hama. It stressed that the move will put pressure on Russia to stop the onslaught on the region.
In a press release issued on Saturday, the Coalition said that “the move, albeit modest, is of great importance as it underlines the UN role in holding perpetrators accountable and in the restoration of international peace and security.”
The Coalition stressed that proving the responsibility of the Assad regime and Russia for the targeting of healthcare facilities and other vital civilian centers will put Russia under international pressure. Such probe will expose the real nature of the military operations targeting the Syrian people and the UN-sponsored political process.”
“The move will also refute the Assad regime and Russia’s claims about fighting terrorism,” the Coalition said, adding that Russia is launching targeted strikes against medical centers and using the coordinates provided by the United Nations, which constitutes a double crime that requires investigation as well.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday agreed to a request by two-thirds of the UN Security Council member States for an international inquiry into attacks on civilian facilities in northwestern Syria.
Britain, France, the United States, Germany, Belgium, Peru, Poland, Kuwait, the Dominican Republic and Indonesia delivered a formal diplomatic petition to Guterres earlier this week asking him to launch the probe.
Vice-president of the Coalition Dima Moussa said that the Assad regime and Russia are committing “blatant war crimes” as she stressed the need for accountability for the war crimes taking place in Syria. She said that the Assad regime and Russia’s insistence on their “criminal approach” stalled the political process and left the cease-fire agreement in tatters. (Source: Syrian National Coalition’s Media Department)
