Syria: Emphasizes importance of preserving evidence of crimes against humanity

 Tuesday, December 17, 2024

Islamabad (Point News Today / Pakistan Point News - 17th December, 2024 ) The head of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry (Commission) for Syria, Robert Patti, has said that preserving evidence is essential to ensure accountability for the former regime’s crimes against civilians.

He said that access to evidence of alleged international crimes now appears possible, but it must be protected from being lost so that justice can be served to thousands of people who were unlawfully detained and tortured in prisons.

Robert Patti is the head of the United Nations’ International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) to investigate serious international crimes in Syria.

The ‘IIIM’ was established by a resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2016. Its aim is to collect, preserve and analyze evidence of alleged crimes committed in Syria since March 2011. These may include war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

Appeal for cooperation in the investigation

Robert Patti said that the former government had never recognized the legitimacy of the commission and refused to provide it with cooperation despite numerous attempts.

However, over the years, the commission has so far collected 283 terabytes of information from various sources about the alleged crimes of the government, which will be useful in legal proceedings.

He said that during the rebel advance against the Assad regime in Syria, it is likely that much evidence was lost. For example, in incidents of looting, people took computers, burned documents and smashed hard drives.

In such circumstances, it is feared that much valuable evidence has been lost. In order to help the commission in its work, everyone will have to play their part in preserving evidence.

In this regard, the Syrian embassies in Geneva and New York have also been contacted, which are ready to assist in the investigative process. He expressed the hope that the country's interim rulers and civil society have said that they understand the importance of this matter.

In this way, it is hoped that the investigators will be able to do their job more easily.

Commitment to reconstruction

Robert Patti said that when crimes have been committed at the state level for 14 years, then there is a large amount of evidence that can be accessed. In this matter, several national and international actors have also offered to assist the transitional government, which is welcome.

However, he also says that this task will not be easy because the situation may be different in each region, while armed conflict is still ongoing in many places.

Robert Patti was asked if the Syrian people are saying that the UN has come too late to help them, he said that if a crime has been committed, then the arrival of help in such a case would be called late.

The Syrian people's call for help and cooperation from the international community has been heard. The UN and other international actors, countries and regional organizations have also been granted access to Syria, which was not possible 13 days ago. They have shown genuine commitment to helping rebuild Syria, and it is hoped that the Commission will also contribute to this work.

Golan withdrawal order

UN aid agencies have warned that the humanitarian crisis in Syria is worsening, with fighting continuing in the northeast and the occupied Golan Heights.

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has said that the Israeli army has ordered the evacuation of some villages in the area, while the people are not ready to leave their area.

The agency says that in recent days the Israeli army has advanced into the buffer zone with Syria after five decades, while more than 500 air strikes have also been carried out on various military installations across the country.

Refugees urged not to be deported

Rema Jamous-Amsis, UNHCR's regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, said that 90 percent of the population in Syria lives below the poverty line and that donors must play their part to provide large-scale assistance. People need timely rehabilitation and reconstruction, and the international community also needs to support those who have returned home in large numbers after the fall of the Assad regime.

She said that between January and June next year, about one million Syrian refugees are expected to return from abroad. However, she called on host countries not to forcibly return anyone and to ensure that the rights of those seeking asylum are respected.

Rema Jamous said that no definitive assessment of the situation in Syria can be made at this time. The right of Syrian refugees to return voluntarily, safely and with dignity must be respected. After 14 years of displacement, people cannot pack up overnight and return to their country, which is already ravaged by war.