Syria Crisis: ‘Key Priority’ Is Preserving Evidence of Crimes, Say UN Investigators
December 17, 2024
Geneva, Switzerland – Preserving evidence of war crimes and other atrocities committed during the ongoing conflict in Syria is a “key priority,” United Nations investigators said on Monday.
In a new report released by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria, the investigators called for the international community to provide more support for efforts to collect and preserve evidence, including documentation, forensic evidence, and witness testimony.
“The vast and continuing suffering of civilians and the impunity enjoyed by perpetrators of atrocity crimes in Syria constitute the darkest chapters in the international community’s response to 21st-century conflict,” said Paulo Pinheiro, the Chair of the Commission.
The report, which covers the period from March 2021 to June 2024, documents a wide range of violations of international law, including summary executions, torture, sexual violence, and the use of chemical weapons. The investigators found that these violations were committed by all parties to the conflict, including the Syrian government, opposition groups, and foreign fighters.
The Commission stressed that the preservation of evidence is essential for ensuring accountability for past crimes and preventing future abuses. “Without a concerted effort to preserve evidence, the door to justice for victims and survivors will remain closed,” said Karen Koning AbuZayd, a Commissioner on the Commission.
The investigators called on the international community to provide more funding and technical support to organizations working to document and preserve evidence in Syria. They also urged the Syrian government to cooperate with international efforts to investigate war crimes and other human rights violations.
“The United Nations and other international bodies must continue to support efforts to preserve evidence and seek justice for the victims of Syria’s conflict,” said Pinheiro. “Failure to do so would be a betrayal of our common humanity and a grave injustice to the Syrian people.”
Background:
The Syrian civil war, which began in 2011 as a peaceful protest movement against the government of President Bashar al-Assad, has become one of the deadliest conflicts of the 21st century. The war has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, displaced millions, and created a humanitarian crisis.
The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria was established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2011. The Commission’s mandate is to investigate human rights violations and abuses committed during the conflict in Syria.
Syria crisis: ‘Key priority’ is preserving evidence of crimes, say UN investigators
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