Human Rights Watch: The International Court of Justice’s decision is a landmark step towards protecting civilians in Syria
ARK News… Human Rights Watch said in a statement, on Friday, November 17, 2023, that the decision of the International Court of Justice, which demands that the Syrian regime take all measures to prevent acts of torture and other violations, is “a milestone step towards protecting civilians in the country.”
The organization added, “Despite Syria’s record of serious crimes, and without any indication that its abusive practices would stop, several Arab countries rushed to normalize relations with the government, including the UAE and Jordan, without taking steps to address these violations.” In May, the League of Nations restored Al Arabiya "Syria took its seat after suspending its membership in 2011 due to its human rights violations."
“The international court’s historic ruling calls on Syrian authorities to prevent acts of torture against their own citizens,” said Balqis Jarrah, associate director of the International Justice Program at Human Rights Watch. “With widespread and systematic torture continuing in Syria, implementing this ruling will be a matter of life and death for many.” Syrians in detention centers across the country.”
Pointing out that “after more than ten years of torture committed by the Syrian regime authorities, the international court’s order may be pivotal to stopping the cycle of violations that the world watched with horror unfold,” stressing that governments must “ensure the implementation of the court’s order to stop future violations and achieve accountability.”
On November 16, the International Court of Justice ordered the Syrian regime to stop torture crimes in its prisons, as part of the case brought by the Netherlands and Canada against it for violating the Convention against Torture on June 8.
On November 15, French judges issued arrest warrants against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and three other senior officials on charges of complicity in crimes against humanity and war crimes regarding the use of chemical weapons against civilians in the city of Douma and the Eastern Ghouta region in August 2013.
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