Press release
Syrian Opposition Coalition
Department of Media and Communications
April 07, 2021
The Assad regime forces, Iranian militias and Russian occupation forces committed atrocious crimes at the height of their onslaught on eastern Ghouta in early 2018, including the use of chemical weapons in the town of Douma.
In addition to raining the town with bombs and lethal weapons, the Assad regime and its allies deployed chemical weapons right before the eyes of the whole world.
This horrible crime claimed the lives of 39 people, including 10 children and 15 women, as well as injured about 550 others, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights and other monitoring groups. However, the perpetrators are still at large and continue to commit more crimes.
All parties involved in the execution, planning, and covering up of this crime will not be absolved of their responsibilities. It is about time that the international community reconsider its role in Syria in view of its failure to assume its responsibilities with regard to punishing the criminals.
The Assad regime’s involvement in war crimes, crimes against humanity and the use of chemical weapons has been well documented and proven beyond any doubt. The international community and international actors must therefore punish the criminals through military intervention under Chapter VII of the UN Charter; referring the perpetrators to the International Criminal Court; and establishing effective mechanisms to overcome the continuing Russian obstructionism of the course of justice in Syria.
The murderous Assad regime has transformed the lives of Syrians into a series of painful anniversaries. However, the Syrian people are determined to go ahead with their revolution and create the greatest anniversary in the history of Syria: the day when they topple the regime and build a new Syria, a Syria of freedom, dignity and independence.
