Press release
Syrian Opposition Coalition
Department of Media and Communications
April 01, 2021
The Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) welcomes the firm European position rejecting impunity for war criminals and torturers in Syria and its reiteration of commitment to ensuring that war crimes, for which the Assad regime and its allies bear the primary responsibility, will not go unpunished.
The latest European position sends an important, clear message to everyone, especially the parties that every now and then raise the possibility of rehabilitating the Assad regime.
We call on European countries and other countries committed to preventing impunity to find practical means to achieve this goal and to reconsider the current means. The current mechanisms of action and decision-making at the UN Security Council are not only flawed, but also provide a guarantee for criminals that allows them to escape punishment.
We stress the importance of the European position towards the plight of detainees and the missing persons as we reiterate the calls for their release from prisons, torture rooms and the dungeons of the Assad regime’s brutal security apparatuses. The release of detainees is not a political issue nor should it be subject to negotiation or used as a means of extortion.
It is imperative to refer war crimes in Syria to the International Criminal Court. This work must be accompanied by renewed international efforts to prevent further violations, crimes and atrocities, as well as impose a political transition; hold the perpetrators accountable within a specific timeframe; and put and end to impunity in Syria.
