Press release
Syrian Coalition
Department of Media and Communications
April 4, 2019
Today marks the second anniversary of the Khan Sheikoun massacre, which was carried out by the Assad regime’s air force using sarin nerve gas. The attack killed around 100 civilians and injured dozens more.
The massacre was just part of the long litany of crimes and violations of the International Humanitarian Law as well as of international norms and UN Security Council resolutions. Furthermore, the crime was met with a series of statements and condemnations that were merely aimed at face-saving.
The reality on the ground confirms that the Assad regime insists on its policy of murder, displacement and escalation which resulted in the deaths of at least 15 civilians and the injury of dozens more in the past 24 hours. Violent shelling hit rural Hama, Aleppo and Idlib, including the town of Khan Sheikoun.
The continued absence of any legal response to the crimes and violations taking place in Syria has consolidated the culture of impunity. It also makes the major players in the international community as indirect partners as they bear the responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.
The Syrian Coalition renews its calls to include the issue of crimes committed in Syria within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court and to hold accountable all criminals and their accomplices.
The Coalition also renews its calls to activate Article 21 of UN Security Council Resolution 2018 to impose measures against the Assad regime under Chapter VII of the UN Charter.
This horrific chapter of the history of Syria and the region must be brought to an end through serious and responsible international position that is committed to the protection of civilians, the implementation of international law and international resolutions, and accountability.
