Thameen Al-Kheetan, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that justice is essential for the future of Syria, adding that “Bashar al-Assad and all those responsible for human rights violations must be held accountable in accordance with international law.”
The Spokesperson of the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights, Thameen Al-Kheetan, made assessments on human rights violations in Syria and emphasized that Bashar Assad and anyone who may have committed serious crimes must be held accountable before justice.
Speaking at a weekly press conference held at the UN Office in Geneva, Al-Kheetan underlined that justice is critical to Syria’s future. “All those responsible for serious crimes committed in the past and present must be tried and held accountable in accordance with international human rights law. This is a fundamental requirement for Syria to experience a just transition and rebuild society,” Al-Kheetan said.
Referring to images of hundreds of prisoners released from prisons following the collapse of the Baath regime in Syria, Al-Kheetan noted that some prisoners were reunited with their families for the first time in years. “The reunion of people who were left without information about their loved ones for years contains both joy and deep pain,” he said.
Al-Kheetan stated that an independent organization established by the UN to investigate the missing in Syria has started its work and that this organization will work to alleviate the suffering of families and reveal the truth. He also conveyed that different UN units continue their work to collect and monitor evidence of human rights violations and war crimes.
“The interim government needs to act quickly to preserve evidence of past crimes. Critical materials such as mass graves, prison records, and other documents will play a major role in the accountability process,” Al-Kheetan said, stressing the need to establish a justice mechanism that complies with international standards.
Under Assad, the UN human rights team has not been permitted into Syria for many years and is remotely monitoring abuses, Al-Kheetan said quoted by Reuters. The team would “support human rights issues and help to ensure that any transition of power is inclusive and within the framework of international law, he said. “We need to start to put a footprint down,” he said. A U.N. investigative body also wants to go to Syria to help secure evidence that may implicate its top officials.
