NGOs File French Case Against Syria Over Chemical Attacks
Sumaira FH Published March 02, 2021 | 10:09 PM
Three NGOs have filed a criminal complaint in France against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over chemical weapons attacks in 2013, they said on Tuesday
Paris, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 2nd Mar, 2021 ) :Three NGOs have filed a criminal complaint in France against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over chemical weapons attacks in 2013, they said on Tuesday.
Accusing the Assad regime of "crimes against humanity" and "war crimes", the three organisations appealed to a Paris court to use its extra-territorial powers which allow it to judge cases outside France.
The Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM), the Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI) and the Syrian Archive filed the case on Monday.
They are hoping that the court will investigate chemical attacks with sarin gas -- which is outlawed under the international Chemicals Weapons Convention -- in August 2013 in the city of Douma, and in eastern Ghouta near the capital Damascus.
According to the US government, close to 1,400 people died in the attacks. The Syrian government denies responsibility.
The case, which is based on witness statements, photos and an analysis of the Syrian military's chain of command, should "ascertain the responsibility of those who ordered and implemented these attacks", the NGOs said.
"We believe there is strong evidence of what happened that day," Mazen Darwish, president of Paris-based SCM, told AFP.
"It's very important to send a message to the perpetrators that survivors will keep fighting for truth and accountability," he said.
With the evidence gathered, the NGOs were giving France and other western governments "the key, the legal possibility to act in a political and legal way".
Failure to act on the evidence would mean "that we give the green light for all dictatorships to use chemical weapons".
Syrian Archive director Hadi al Khatib said in the statement that the Syrian government "has to be held responsible" for the attacks.
He alleged that it had failed to be transparent about its production, use and stockpiling of chemical weapons.
The NGOs said they hoped that France would cooperate with prosecutors in Germany, where they had already lodged a case in October last year concerning the alleged use of chemical weapons in April 2017 in a region between Damascus and Aleppo.
After the 2013 attacks the Syrian government promised to dismantle its stock of chemical weapons.
But according to a report released last October by OSJI and Syrian Archive, the Syrian government is still running a "robust" chemical weapons programme.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
HEC reviews curricula for environmental sciences degree programme
ICC Asia looking forward to an action-packed Asia Cricket Week
Yuvraj Singh named ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador
Greece hands Olympic flame to 2024 Paris Games hosts
Two Kyiv hospitals evacuating over feared Russian strikes
World must act on neurotech revolution, say experts
Charles & Catherine's cancer diagnoses
Champions Alcaraz and Sabalenka through in Madrid Open
King Charles to resume some public duties during cancer treatment: palace
US defense chief announces $6 bn in security aid for Ukraine
Heavy rains cause damage to Spezand-Taftan railway track
Woman stabbed in Israel, attacker killed: police
More Stories From World
-
NFL will allow players to wear Guardian Cap helmets in games
5 hours ago -
Football: German Bundesliga table
5 hours ago -
Football: Italian Serie A result
5 hours ago -
Football: German Bundesliga results
5 hours ago -
US troops to leave Chad in second African state withdrawal
5 hours ago -
Plastics pollution may be solved without production cap: Canada minister
5 hours ago
-
Biden stalls on menthol cigarette ban fearing Black vote backlash
5 hours ago -
Champions Alcaraz and Sabalenka through in Madrid Open
5 hours ago -
6,000 French police to welcome Olympic torch amid bonus boost
5 hours ago -
Taiwan hit by several quakes, strongest reaching 6.1-magnitude
6 hours ago -
'Ballistic' Bairstow stars as Punjab pull off record T20 chase
6 hours ago -
Tennis: ATP/WTA Madrid Open results - 2nd update
6 hours ago