Press release
Syrian Opposition Coalition
Department of Media and Communications
April 13, 2021
The Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) welcomes the second report issued by the OPCW Investigation and Identification Team (IIT) as it renews the calls for international action based on Chapter VII of the UN Charter as required by UN Security Council Resolution 2118.
The new report confirmed, as was the case with the previous one, that the Assad regime forces deliberately used chemical weapons. It said that there are “reasonable grounds to believe” that an Assad air force helicopter dropped a chlorine cylinder on the northwestern town of Saraqib in February 2018.
The two reports, issued a year apart, year, came out with the same results. It behooves parties of the international community who are truly committed to international security and stability, and the international actors, to assume their responsibilities and take the necessary measures to hold the perpetrators accountable and prevent the recurrence of such crimes.
The SOC has repeatedly stressed the responsibility of the international community with regards to the prosecution, accountability and punishment of those responsible for the use of chemical weapons in Syria. It warns of the nature of the messages that the continued international inaction carries to the regime and to the rest of the authoritarian regimes around the world. It also warns of the danger that all this inaction poses to international peace and security, international law, and the future and weight of the UN Security Council.
