Press release
Syrian Opposition Coalition
Department of Media and Communications
April 7, 2023
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the heinous chemical attack perpetrated by the Assad regime in Douma, a town in the Damascus suburbs in 2018. The attack claimed the lives of 43 civilians and caused dozens to suffer from toxic gases.
The Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) strongly emphasizes that the impunity of the Assad regime from accountability is a disgrace to the international community and a betrayal of the Syrian people. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) confirmed the regime’s responsibility for the Douma attack after conducting impartial and thorough investigations. Additionally, the OPCW declared the regime’s responsibility for two other chemical weapon attacks in Saraqib and Al-Lataminah in Idlib and Hama provinces.
The international community has a significant responsibility to take swift and effective action to hold the Assad regime accountable. The procrastination and declaration of positions without taking actual action have only resulted in more killing, displacement, and human tragedies in Syria.
The SOC stresses the importance of enforcing UN resolutions on Syria, particularly resolutions 2254 and 2118, and dealing with the Assad regime in accordance with Article 7, given that the regime has used chemical weapons in 181 instances after ratifying the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use and Manufacturing of Chemical Weapons in September 2013.
It is high time for the international community to act decisively and bring the perpetrators of these heinous crimes to justice, thereby ensuring accountability and justice for the innocent victims of these atrocious attacks.
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