Human rights groups demand investigation into Syria mass killings News
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Human rights groups demand investigation into Syria mass killings

The Kurdish Human Rights Network in Syria, along with several Kurdish human rights organizations, issued a strong condemnation of the ongoing violence in Syria’s coastal region, calling for an immediate halt to ethnic cleansing and sectarian-based atrocities. The country is witnessing violence between the new government and the supporters of the former Assad regime, following the ousting of Bashar al-Assad.

Seeking effective international intervention through a joint statement issued on Sunday, the groups called for “accountability for all parties” involved in war crimes, such as ethnic cleansing. They also called for the establishment of an independent international investigation committee under the UN’s direct oversight.

Ethnic cleansing is an element that can trigger individual responsibility for war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Alawites are a religious minority that historically dominated the ruling class and military under the ousted Bashar al-Assad, including the Assad family itself.

Violence erupted last week between fighters affiliated with Syria’s new government under President al-Sahra and those loyal to former dictator Bashar al-Assad. As reported by The New York Times, armed men loyal to Mr. al-Assad ambushed government security forces on Thursday in the Latakia province, where many of Syria’s Alawites live. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that government-affiliated forces retaliated with a large-scale attack using tanks, drones, and artillery on Sunday. In days, more than 1,300 people, including at least 973 civilians, have been killed in what has been the bloodiest unrest since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad. According to The Washington Post, mass killings, looting, and arson targeting Alawite civilians were carried out by government-affiliated forces.

Interim President al-Shara, in an address given on Monday which circulated online, announced the end of the military operation and called for Syrian unity. He stated that the government had formed a fact-finding committee to investigate and bring justice to the victims. However, his remarks left it unclear whether he solely blamed fighters from the former government forces for the violence.

The UN human rights chief had similarly warned on Sunday of escalating violence and called for a transparent investigation.

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