Press release
Syrian Opposition Coalition
Department of Media and Communications
August 7, 2023
In anticipation of the upcoming UN Security Council meeting scheduled for August 8th, centered on the critical issue of chemical weapons, the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) underscores the urgent need for justice for victims of chemical attacks perpetrated by the Assad regime forces. These victims, whose lives were tragically cut short, continue to await accountability for the heinous crimes committed against them by the war criminal Bashar al-Assad, in collaboration with his allies.
The persistent impunity granted to the Assad regime is deeply concerning, particularly in light of numerous impartial reports that have conclusively established its responsibility for countless war crimes. Additionally, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has confirmed the regime’s culpability for crimes involving chemical weapons in the towns of Saraqeb, Al-Lataminah, and Douma. This sustained lack of consequences represents a glaring failure in the implementation of UN resolutions designed to bring war criminals to justice.
According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, the Assad regime’s use of poisonous gases has led to the suffocation of 1,510 innocent lives since 2012, with thousands more left injured and burdened by enduring health issues. The extensive body of evidence, as well as the harrowing testimonies of survivors, squarely places the responsibility on the international community to take resolute action against this war criminal, who remains willing to wield chemical weapons whenever it suits his aims.
The SOC urgently calls upon the international community to take decisive measures in accordance with Article 7 of the United Nations Charter. The Assad regime’s blatant disregard for Resolution 2118, coupled with its deployment of chemical weapons against civilian populations on 184 occasions since its accession to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use and Manufacturing of Chemical Weapons in September 2013, necessitates a unified response to prevent further atrocities.
