• Home
  • News
  • Articles
  • Podcast
  • Campaigns
    • In Their Shoes
    • Stand4Uyghurs
  • Topics
    • Current Affairs
    • Education
    • Islamic Thought
    • Opinion
    • Politics
    • Spirituality
    • Women
  • More
    • About
    • Advertise
    • Contact
    • Jobs
    • Submit
    • Subscribe
    • Write
Donate
Islam21cIslam21c
  • Home
  • Articles
  • News
  • Podcast
  • Donate
Search
  • Home
  • News
  • Articles
  • Podcast
  • Campaigns
    • In Their Shoes
    • Stand4Uyghurs
  • Topics
    • Current Affairs
    • Education
    • Islamic Thought
    • Opinion
    • Politics
    • Spirituality
    • Women
  • More
    • About
    • Advertise
    • Contact
    • Jobs
    • Submit
    • Subscribe
    • Write

Stay Updated

Stay updated to receive the latest from Islam21c

Subscribe
Made by ThemeRuby using the Foxiz theme Powered by WordPress

War crime evidence against Assad regime submitted to German courts

By Sana Mahmood 07/10/2020 5 Min Read
Share
Mikhail Semenov / Shutterstock.com

Three non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have submitted a criminal complaint to the German courts over a number of chemical gas attacks that have taken place in Syria in the last decade.

The Justice Initiative, the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCMFE), and the Syrian Archive focused on the use of sarin gas on the Damascus suburb of al-Ghatou in 2013, which killed over 1,500 people, as well as the use of the gas on the northwest village of Khan Sheikhun in 2017, which killed around 100 people.[1] On behalf of the victims, the three NGOs submitted the evidence to the German federal public prosecutor in Karlsruhe.

Under the principle of universal jurisdiction, several European countries have had Syria-related filings. This is because the principle allows prosecution of serious crimes even if they happened elsewhere. This exposure has resulted in the challenging of impunities that have been granted even though there are clear atrocities that have taken place in Syria.1

The President of SCMFE, Mazen Darwish, who was also once detained and tortured in a Syrian regime prison for three years, explained that this is a “significant new step which shows the Syrian people refuse to accept these failures.” Darwish further added: “The people of Syria have been repeatedly failed by international mechanisms and institutions which have not stopped the bloodshed or held criminals in Bashar as-Assad’s regime responsible for their actions.”1

Evidence provided clearly identifies government officials and Syrian armed forces responsible for the attacks. The filing also produced the most comprehensive investigation to date on the two attacks, collating witness testimony and arranging witnesses in Germany who are ready to testify. The evidence also includes documents that were leaked by regime defectors, as well as open source investigation material.1 The suffering of civilians has been documented by UN investigators and independent human rights groups, yet both the Syrian regime and armed parties have escaped punishment.

Steve Kostas, a senior legal officer at the Justice Initiative, seemed hopeful:

“We are confident that the new complaint and the dossier of evidence submitted on Monday will support the German prosecutor’s ongoing investigation.”

“Universal jurisdiction is an essential tool for building cases on the Syrian file. Different countries need to pool their resources and work together for effective investigations and prosecutions regarding these severe crimes against humanity.”1

There has been a call for international support. There has been no previous effort made to try the Syrian regime officials for the crimes committed, which include torture, unlawful detention, and the use of illegal weaponry like barrel bombs, chlorine, and sarin gas. The Assad regime has used chemical weapons against civilians in opposition-held areas, portraying the attacks as deliberate and part of a plan. Both Russia and China have used their veto many times due to their status as permanent members of the UN Security Council to delay and block investigations or to try and set up an ICC tribunal for Syria. Russian disinformation campaigns have tried to portray the attacks as staged, despite the overwhelming evidence accumulated by both UN and independent investigators that suggests the opposite.1

The Syrian regime has not yet responded even after the chemical weapons watchdog Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) condemned their use of banned sarin and chlorine munitions. The OPCW has demanded that Syria declare the remainder of its chemical weapons stockpile immediately, but the Syrian regime has yet to comply to these demands. If they do not satisfy the demands of the OPCW, a more serious outcome could be seen due to the violation of the 1977 Chemical Weapons Convention.1

[donationbanner]


Source: www.islam21c.com

Notes:

[1] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/06/criminal-complaint-submitted-to-german-court-over-sarin-gas-attacks-in-syria

Sana Mahmood 07/10/2020 07/10/2020
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Whatsapp Telegram Copy Link Print
Previous Article An Open Letter to Russell Brand From a Muslim Woman
Next Article Beijing Olympics may be boycotted over abuse of Uyghur Muslims
Leave a comment Leave a comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Welcome to the all-new Islam21c website

Related

Uyghur genocide: XPCC's 69-year reign of oppression

Uyghur genocide: XPCC’s 69-year reign of oppression

Campaigns
Egypt bans schoolgirls from wearing niqab

Egypt bans schoolgirls from wearing niqab

News
Student embarks on epic quest for Prophetic knowledge

Student embarks on epic quest for Prophetic knowledge

News
Hindu fascist apprehended over anti-Muslim riots

Hindu fascist apprehended over anti-Muslim riots

News
Show More
Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram Telegram

© 2023 Islam21c | All rights reserved

Work with us

Whether you want to volunteer or be a part of our team, there are ways you can always make a contribution to the Muslim Ummah.

View vacancies

Stay connected!

We know how it feels to miss out on the latest breaking stories, exciting project announcements, and multimedia productions, so here is this handy box to make sure you don’t miss a thing! Signing up takes just 10 seconds.

Subscribe
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?