Press release
Syrian Opposition Coalition – Syria
Department of Media and Communications
August 11, 2020
As we mark the eighth anniversary of the second deadly attack the Assad regime’s forces carried out in al-Shammas neighborhood in the city of Homs, millions of Syrians are still waiting for the day when they will be able to commemorate these victims and the tens of thousands of other fallen heroes in a manner befitting their sacrifices.
Following the killing spree the Assad regime’s forces carried out in al-Shammas neighborhood on May 15, 2012, Assad shabiha paramilitaries carried out another heinous crime against the people of the neighborhood this day in 2012. They stormed civilian homes and rounded up dozens of civilians who were tortured and summarily executed.
The victims included 22 people who were documented by their full names, including seven children and three women, some of whom were buried in a mass grave in a public park in the neighborhood.
The hundreds of crimes the Assad regime committed against innocent civilians, including this crime which took place in the last ten days of the holy month of Ramadan, will remain a dark stain on the conscience of the international community. It is our duty to remind the international community of its responsibility for these crimes.
The United Nations, UN Security Council, and major actors are required to assume their responsibilities with regards to the situation in Syria. Action needs to be taken to ensure enforcement of international resolutions and bring about a political solution based on the Geneva Communique of 2012 and to ensure that the criminals are held accountable.
