President of the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC), Hadi Al-Bahra, emphasized that the international community’s failure to enforce Article 21 of Security Council Resolution No. 2118 of 2013, which mandates the imposition of practical measures against the regime under Chapter Seven in the event of its reutilization or transfer of chemical weapons, has emboldened its continued and excessive use of such weapons. This, in turn, has resulted in the brutal treatment of Syrians and the ongoing commission of war crimes utilizing various weapons, including those banned internationally.
On the anniversary of the chemical attack on Khan Shaykhun in the Idlib countryside, perpetrated by the Assad regime in 2017 and resulting in the deaths of 91 civilians, Al-Bahra said that the regime has deployed chemical weapons on 181 occasions since its acceptance of UN Resolution 2118 and ratification of the Convention banning the use and manufacture of chemical weapons in September 2013.
Al-Bahra reiterated his plea to the international community, the United Nations General Assembly, and the Security Council to apply genuine and effective pressure to achieve justice and hold the regime accountable for its war crimes and crimes against humanity. He stressed the necessity of delivering justice to the victims and realizing the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people for a state governed by law, justice, equal citizenship, and democracy. Such objectives can only be accomplished through the rigorous and comprehensive implementation of Security Council resolutions, particularly Resolutions 2118 and 2254.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
