Syria: Assad’s armed forces must face accountability, says rights probe
2025-02-06 12:00
By The New Arab
Geneva – A United Nations-mandated probe has said that the Syrian government has failed to hold its armed forces “accountable for serious violations of international humanitarian law,” and called for an end to impunity for war crimes committed during the country’s 15-year conflict.
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic (IICI) said in a report published on Monday that “war crimes continue to be committed in Syria with impunity,” and that “the Syrian government has failed to take any meaningful steps to address these violations.”
The report documents war crimes committed by all parties to the conflict, including the Syrian government, armed opposition groups, and the Islamic State (IS) group. The IICI found that the Syrian government was responsible for the vast majority of war crimes documented, including airstrikes on civilian targets, extrajudicial killings, torture, and arbitrary detention.
The report also found that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons on multiple occasions, including an attack on the town of Douma in April 2018 that killed dozens of civilians. The IICI said that the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government “may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
The IICI called on the Syrian government to end impunity for war crimes and to hold those responsible for violations of international humanitarian law accountable. The report also called on the international community to support the efforts of the IICI and to ensure that those responsible for war crimes in Syria are brought to justice.
The report’s findings are based on a review of evidence collected by the IICI over the past five years, including interviews with victims and witnesses, as well as analysis of documents and other materials.
The IICI is an independent body established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2011 to investigate allegations of human rights violations in Syria. The commission has been mandated to investigate all parties to the conflict and to identify those responsible for war crimes and other serious violations of international law.
The report’s findings are the latest in a series of damning indictments of the Syrian government’s human rights record. In 2021, the UN Human Rights Council accused the Syrian government of committing “gross and systematic human rights violations,” including arbitrary detention, torture, and extrajudicial killings.
The Syrian government has consistently denied allegations of war crimes and other human rights violations. However, the evidence gathered by the IICI and other independent human rights groups suggests that the Syrian government has been responsible for widespread and systematic violations of international law.
The IICI’s report is a reminder of the urgent need for accountability in Syria. The Syrian people have suffered greatly during the past 15 years, and they deserve to see those responsible for war crimes brought to justice. The international community must continue to support the efforts of the IICI and to ensure that those responsible for war crimes in Syria are held accountable.
Syria: Assad’s armed forces must face accountability, says rights probe
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