The European Union announced it will allocate 1.5 million euros to support the independent mechanism operating under the auspices of the UN to facilitate investigations of the crimes committed in Syria and to bring all those responsible to justice.
“Accountability for war crimes, human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law are essential to ensuring a meaningful political transition in Syria, the EU said on Wednesday,” the EU said in a statement on Wednesday.
“The European Union will continue to work to ensure that these violations are addressed, in line with the strategic objectives of the EU Strategy for Syria, adopted on 3 April 2017,” the statement added.
The EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said that “justice for the victims is key for an effective and inclusive reconciliation process in Syria. This is why those responsible for war crimes need to be held accountable and as soon as possible.”
“As the European Union, we confirm today our commitment and our support to the Syrian people and to the UN-led political process towards a political resolution of the crisis. The Syrians deserve peace and justice, and we continue to be at their side in this endeavor,” Mogherini added.
The European Council on Monday issued a series of sanctions against the Assad regime senior military officials and scientists behind the deadly chemical weapons attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun in April 4 that claimed the lives of dozens of civilians, including children.
“The Council added 16 persons to the list…for their role in the development and use of chemical weapons against the civilian population,” the EU Council said Monday.
A total of 255 Assad regime officials are now targeted under Brussels’ travel ban and an asset freeze in addition to 67 entities, according to the EU Council.
In December 2016, the UN General Assembly set up an independent panel to assist in the investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the most serious violations of international law in Syria.
The UN Secretary-General António Guterres in early July announced the appointment of Catherine Marchi-Uhel of France as head of the independent panel which will be based in Geneva, Switzerland. Marchi-Uhel was previously a judge in France and an international judge at the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, and at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department + Agencies)
