By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS – UN human rights chief Volker Türk on Wednesday has described the unbearable suffering of former detainees under the deposed Assad regime and insisted that he stands with the people of the war-torn nation as they “rebuild a country that works for all Syrians”.
He was speaking from Damascus after meeting the leader of the caretaker authorities, Ahmad Al-Sharaa.
Mr. Türk said that he had been “assured of the importance of respect for human rights for all Syrians and all different components of Syrian society”.
Syria’s de facto leader who spearheaded the lightning overthrow of Bashar Al Assad on 8 December at the head of opposition fighters Hayat Tahrir Al Sham also underscored “the pursuit of healing, trust building and social cohesion, and the reform of institutions”, Mr. Turk said.
He stressed that the challenges are immense,” as he pointed to the “hundreds of thousands of lives” lost, the fact that much of the country lies in ruins”.
Mr. Türk said today, 9 in 10 Syrians are “mired in poverty, the health system is on its knees and many schools are closed.”
“Millions are still displaced both inside and outside the country. The rights to food, health, education and housing are fundamental human rights, and there must be prompt, collective and concerted efforts to guarantee them.”
He called for “an urgent reconsideration” of ongoing sanctions on Syria “with a view to lifting them”, the UN rights chief said that considering their impact on the lives of the Syrian people was key.
Mr. Türk said that he had heard harrowing testimony from numerous victims of torture.
They included some jailed at the notorious Sednaya prison outside Damascus, where his Office documented violations “for years”.
He described prisoners telling him that “early in the morning, as they heard the guards at their door, trembling in fear, they retreated to the rear of the cell, fearing they would be hauled out again to be tortured, or even executed.”
He explained thousands died in prisons throughout Syria,as he condemn the “apocalyptic wasteland” of the bombed-out residential neighbourhood of Jobar, in Damascus, which he visited.
“Not a single building in the area was spared bombardment in wave after wave of attacks,” Mr. Türk said.
He added that it was “inconceivable that such mass killings and destruction” had happened.
Turk said that it was equally difficult to believe “that banned chemical weapons were used against civilians elsewhere in the country and not just once”, a likely reference to several deadly chlorine gas attacks, including on two residential buldings in Douma in northeast Damascus by the Syrian air force on 7 April 2018.
It “says a lot about the extreme brutality of the tactics used by the former regime”, whose acts “constitute some of the most serious crimes under international humanitarian law.”
He highlighted that the people of Syria “need every ounce of help they can get to rebuild a country that works for all Syrians”.
OHCHR has had a dedicated Syria monitoring team since 2013 “will continue to support inclusive, nationally owned and driven processes”, Mr. Türk said.
He warned of “very real threats” to Syria’s territorial integrity and independence.
The country’s sovereignty “must be fully respected and rigorously upheld. The ongoing conflicts and hostilities must end,” he added:
“This is really a seminal moment for Syria after decades of repression,” Turk said.
“My most fervent hope is for all Syrians to be able to thrive together, regardless of gender, religion or ethnicity and to build a common future,” he concluded
Comments are closed.