Syrians circulate war crimes suspects lists
The United Nations Commissions of Inquiry on Syria has been investigating war crimes and other violations of international human rights law since the beginning of the devastating Syrian civil war in 2011. In the absence of official public lists of wanted persons for war crimes, the file of individuals implicated in human rights violations under the previous Bashar al-Assad regime remains a particularly difficult challenge for the new Syrian administration, reports Asharq Al-Awsat on January 13th.
The commission, which operates remotely, has created lists of approximately 4000 names of people suspected of committing serious crimes.
Since the fall of the Assad regime, dozens of unofficial lists have circulated, naming and depicting suspects.
Syrian activist Ayman Ahmad from Homs warns that the unregulated circulation of unofficial lists poses a significant threat to civil peace. He said: “These lists are a form of incitement to violence and fear mongering, which only complicates the situation.”
Ahmad also said: “As long as arrests are being made based on lists determined by the new administration, even if those lists are not publicly disclosed, we urge a halt to the dissemination of random, unofficial lists. These lists incite indiscriminate violence and deepen social divisions.”
A UN investigator assigned to examining the violations voiced his optimism for “productive cooperation” with the new Syrian authorities.
READ: “No real effort” made by Israel to probe Gaza war crimes – ICC prosecutor
The UN investigators emphasised the need to ensure the highest levels of accountability following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad.
Additionally, a Washington-based organisation called Pro Justice, which was founded by Syrian Americans under the sponsorship of defected Syrian Prime Minister Riad Hijab, also released a list naming 100 high-ranking officials before the fall of the Assad regime. The named officials were accused of committing war crimes since 2011.
One of the released lists contain 161 names of senior officers and leaders of the former regime. The list included the name of Bashar al-Assad and his brother, Maher al-Assad, the commander of the Fourth Armoured Division.
The division is accused of committing the Daraya massacre in 2012, the chemical weapons attack in Douma in 2013, and various other war crimes.
Arrests have been made of individuals who have not been named in these reports. These include Aws Salloum, known as “Azrael of Sednaya,” who is accused of executing over 500 detainees during the security campaign in Homs and its countryside.
READ: Sednaya prison’s ‘Azrael’ captured in Homs security operation
Asharq Al-Awsat
