The US Embassy in Syria: We will continue to hold accountable crimes of sexual violence in times of war

ARK News… The United States of America stressed that it does not accept that sexual violence related to conflict in times of war is an inevitable cost of armed conflict.

The US Embassy in Syria, on Tuesday, June 18, published a statement on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict.

The US Embassy in Syria said, “According to the 2023 Syria Human Rights Report, significant human rights issues in Syria continue to include credible reports of sexual violence in times of war.”

The Embassy added that the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Syria provided details of the regime’s widespread practice of sexual violence, including rape, against detained men, women and children.”

The statement also referred to reports by the International Commission of Inquiry regarding the commission of war crimes by “members of armed groups such as the Syrian National Army and the foreign terrorist group Hay 'at Tahrir al-Sham,” including rape and other forms of sexual violence.

The embassy stressed that “the United States does not accept that conflict-related sexual violence is an inevitable cost of armed conflict, and it stressed that it will continue to seek accountability for such crimes.

The embassy stated that the United States imposed sanctions in August 2023 on “two factions of the Syrian National Army involved in the sexual assault and kidnapping of women.”

In conclusion, the embassy expressed that it continues the commitment “to supporting survivor-centered approaches and trauma-informed care to help survivors access the services needed to help them heal and secure the justice they deserve.”

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