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HRC58 - Human Rights in Syria - 18 March 2025
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17:24
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MP4
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1.1 GB
Interactive dialogue with the Independent International Commission of Inquiry (COI) on the Syrian Arab Republic, on its latest report, at the 58th session of the Human Rights Council.
Opening statements from:
- Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, Chair, COI Syria
- Haydar Ali Ahmad, Permanent Representative of Syria to the UN Office at Geneva (country concerned)
The video includes three audio tracks: first track Interlingua (= floor), second track English and third track Arabic.
Teleprompter
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
First time I addressed this assembly since the removal of the government led by former President Assad in December.
This development marks a new beginning for the Syrian people who have suffered extreme violence and atrocities over the past 14 years and more.
We are pleased that the Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Assad Hassan Al Shabani, in his remarks in this very same room on February 26th, stated that, quote, after the liberation of Syria, the new Syrian government allowed the UN Commission of Inquiry established by this Council to enter Syria after the former regime prevented it.
End of quote.
Effectively, the caretaker government granted us prompt access to Syria, providing opportunities for preliminary discussions with the new authorities on a number of human rights issues.
We look forward to engaging further with the authorities to discuss cooperation and regular access to Syria for our work in the very near future.
Since December, the Commission visited former government detention facilities in Damascus and rural Damascus, including Sednaya Military Prison, Air Force Intelligent Bezer Airport Branch and the Military Intelligent Palestine Branch 235, where we had previously documented acts of torture and summer executions.
We met with victims, witness and civil society actors vigorously promoting human rights, justice and peace.
We also discussed measures to prevent future violations and the need to protect evidence, including possible mass grave sites for future truth and accountability efforts with the new Syrian authorities and actors.
These visits impressed upon us the strength and the resilience of the Syrian people, who are already hard at work to pave the way for more of their fellow citizens to be able to return Rome.
Thousands of prisoners were released in early December.
They critically need physical and psychological rehabilitation as well support to address the legal effects of arbitrary measures taken against them and their families, including with respect to their property.
What we saw during our on site visits matched our previous findings of detention related violations by the former government, most recently now report Web of Agony, which provides our most comprehensive analysis to date.
Likewise, testimony from recently released detention survivors confirms that the previous government quashed dissent in ways amounting to crimes against humanity in Syria.
We also met with many families whose missing loved ones were not among the prisoners released in December.
They now want the truth about their fate and they want justice.
The clarification of the fates of the 10s of thousands who remain disappear will require a large scale effort led by the keratic authorities, along with Technical Support from human rights and humanitarian entities, including Syrian Civil Society and Families Association and the Independent Institution of Missing Persons in Syria, recently established.
We stand ready to assist those efforts, including by sharing the relevant data we have gathered since 2011.
We also met with communities affected by years of gross violations in rural Damascus, such as in Duma, Daraya and Zabadani.
We were impressed by their dignity and eagerness to tell the world about years of widespread arbitrary detention and enforce his appearance and law for attacks on residential areas, starvation and other cruel restrictions imposed during sieges, and forcibly displacement and discrimination by the former government.
The extent of destruction of housing and civilian infrastructure that occur during and after hostilities is shocking as the tail in now December conference room paper pillage and plunder A lawful population and destruction of properties of refugees and ID PS In Syria, massive reconstruction will be needed, supported by the international community.
I'd like to repeat supported by the international community if you want to see some progress.
Syrians we met consistently call for justice and accountability as crucial for healing the wounds of the conflict through a range of actions.
Not only criminal proceedings against **** level perpetrators essential, but also brought the measures to ensure the right to through reparation and no repetition of mass atrocities.
Today's serious economic and humanitarian situation remains catastrophic.
While humanitarian funding is dwindling, 9% of the population is under the line of of poverty.
[Other language spoken]
We urgently call for an end to sexual sanctions and the removal of other barriers to recovery and reconstruction excellence.
Ending ongoing violence will also require a complete nationwide ceasefire, the disarming and reintegration of armed groups, securing public order and ending the presence of foreign militaries in on Syrian territory.
Syrians are calling for the speed restoration of their civil documentation and equal access to basic service like education and healthcare, freedom of expression and association, and the ability to challenge arbitrary restriction of decisions.
We take note of the Constitutional declaration approved by the Damascus authorities as a country fundamental law for the upcoming five years.
In addition to the reference on basic human rights and to general provisions on transitional justice, the Declaration states that all rights and freedoms set out international human rights treaties, covenants and agreements that the Syrian Republic has ratified will form an inseparable part of the Constitutional Declaration.
Much will depend on how these provisions into the constitutional tax are implemented and respected across the country.
It is warring that violence and hostilities continue in several parts of the country, racing a return to a more widespread conflict.
Recent extreme violence saw disturbing reports of hundreds of civilian deaths in villages, towns and areas in the coastal regions of Latakia and Tatus following coordinated attacks on security personnel.
Eyewitness of the recent violence in coastal areas described to us how they saw their family members and neighbours shot and killed in front of them in what appears to be retaliatory attacks aimed at former government officials and members of the Alawi community.
Such acts were also accompanied by with looting and discretion of puppeted.
The violence triggered displacement of civilians.
It would never have been expected that the wounds inflicted over decades of dictatorship and rampant human rights violations and abuses, war crimes and crimes against humanity will be healed quickly.
Serious failure will be determined by how the authorities and the Syrian people deal with both past and recent violations.
We know to the urgent steps taken by the caretaker authorities, including the establishing of an independent inquiry into these recent events.
We hope to meet soon in Damascus with this Commission, which will need to operate without interference, maintain its independence and integrity, and present its findings comprehensively to the government and the Syrian public.
Our own monitoring in into these incidents are ongoing in accordance with our regular mandate and our findings will be shared with the current tech government and presented to this Council in future reporting.
While verifying digital information, including videos we have authenticated, we have established that some of the videos circulating online and purporting to show violations committed during these events in fact relate to events dating from years ago and that took place in other countries and conflicts.
A large amount of incendiary and hateful speech is circulating online in relation to the recent violence, which risks fueling further tensions and violence.
As you can see in the report presented to the Council today, the situation S Syria remains volatile, with increased attacks and recursion carried out by Israel since 9:00 December great destabilising the country as it attempts to heal Israel.
Evacuation orders have displaced civilians in rural Conatra, seemingly without any imperative military reason and spending well beyond the lines agreed to the 1954 Disagreement or Forces Agreement.
Further north, you see, ISO is reportedly increasing activities in central and eastern Syria, and thousands of people alleged affiliated with AIZO remain railed.
In Syrian Democratic Study, we have taken note of last week's agreement between the current tech authorities and the commander of the SSDF, in which they agree not only to a nationwide ceasefire but also guaranteed the rights of all students in political representation and participation going forward.
For years, northeast Syria has witnessed hostilities between Syria National Armed Forces and the SDF.
We have been investigating several recent attacks in the area that reportedly led to casual to civilian casualties and impact electricity and what supplies to the region, as well as reports of arbitrary detention.
Madam, the President, the karate Government and future senior authorities have an opportunity to chart a new path and ensure that the horrors of the past and last few weeks are never repeated.
The Syrian people must decide what steps to take.
Merci al Finima, I thank the Chair of the Commission for his statement and as per our practise, we will start by hearing from the delegation of the country concerned.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Syrian Republic.
[Other language spoken]
She's going to say the thank you, Madam Vice President.
Last December, a dark era ended in Syria, an era of intolerable tyranny at the hands of the bygone Assad regime.
A targeted civilian, civilian infrastructure, using barrel bombs, using chemical weapons.
Today, we're in a new phase.
The will of the people was victorious and the light of humanities returning to shine on Syria.
We highly welcome the efforts made by international mechanisms to document the atrocities of the Assad regime and to hold the perpetrators accountable.
The regime boycotted these mechanisms, did not allow them to enter Syria, including the Commission of Inquiry.
The new Syrian government is adopting a different approach and we welcome positive and open interaction.
Syria's determined to achieve justice, to fight impunity.
A committee will be created for transitional justice.
This is of course a difficult and complicated matter, but in Syria it's all the more complicated due to the nature of violations perpetrated and complicated repercussions.
My country, after the end of the asset regime faced several trial to destabilise the country and to lead the country to chaos and civil war.
You have all seen the tragic events on the coastal areas.
In this context, we reaffirm that we will not be lenient with the Assad loyalists who have perpetrated crimes against the army, against the state, who have spread chaos.
We will also hold accountable all those who have civilian blood on their hands, those who went beyond the competencies of the state.
Nobody is above the law.
Therefore, we have established a fact Finding Committee and a higher committee to preserve civil peace.
Madam Vice President, in an important critical step, a constitutional declaration was adopted for the transitional phase.
It reaffirms that all the rights and freedoms in the International Covenants of Human Rights ratified by Syria is an integral part of this declaration.
The state upholds all rights and freedoms, including freedom of opinion, expression, media, the right to political participation and the rights of women, in addition to the prevention of enforced disappearance and torture.
Syria is still suffering from the repercussions of the Assad regime and efforts must be made to support Syria in reconstruction, humanitarian assistance and early recovery.
We reaffirm that sanctions cannot remain an obstacle.
Before the development of Syria, the legal basis for these sanctions was the oppression of the Assad regime.
There is no reason for these sanctions to continue.
Israel, Madam Vice President, benefits from the transitional phase in Syria and is continuing attacks, incursions and strikes and undermining civilian peace and cohesion.
This is a great violation of international law and of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria.
We reaffirm that firm measures must be taken to force Israel to stop its attacks and to abide by the disengagement agreement.
In conclusion, the violations of the Assad regime ended, but the deep wounds remain.
As the Minister of Foreign Affairs said before the **** level segment, Syria today is facing many challenges at many levels.
While we look forward to the future, we shoulder a noble responsibility which is the non repetition of the atrocities of the Assad regime.
Syrian people deserve a nation where its rights are preserved, where its voice its heard, where its dignity is preserved.
We look forward to your full support in order for Syria to rise from the ashes of a barbaric.