Damascus, Syria — Turkish human rights lawyers have stepped up their efforts to hold Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and 17 of his top officials accountable for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. Lawyers Gülden Sönmez and Cihat Gökdemir, representing Syrian victims, have urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to immediately issue arrest warrants in response to charges that have been documented since the onset of the Syrian civil war.
The legal proceedings against Assad and his administration started back in 2017, driven by mounting evidence of human rights violations during his regime’s grip on power. The allegations detail a litany of abuses, including torture, sexual violence, and the use of chemical weapons against civilians.
Sönmez and Gökdemir, after a recent visit to Syria, announced that they had spent 10 days gathering testimonies from victims who had endured severe maltreatment and suffering under Assad’s rule. Their efforts underscore an ongoing initiative to bring light to the extensive human rights abuses that have been systematically conducted throughout the conflict.
Highlighting the dire need for international intervention, the lawyers presented a compelling appeal for the ICC to dispatch a delegate to Syria to conduct on-the-ground investigations. This step, they argued, is crucial in understanding the full scope of the atrocities and ensuring that those responsible are held accountable.
Furthermore, the duo called on anyone possessing evidence of the regime’s crimes to contribute to building a robust case. This initiative seeks to foster a collaborative approach, inviting institutions, NGOs, and individuals globally to unite in the pursuit of justice for the victims.
During their involvement in the emerging legal scenario, the lawyers also engaged with Syrian Justice Minister Shadi al-Waisi. Discussions covered the atrocities committed by the regime, with a focus on gathering and presenting evidence to the international community. Al-Waisi expressed an openness to collaborate with global entities to ensure the regime’s crimes are thoroughly documented.
This legal endeavor follows the dramatic end of Assad’s regime when rebel forces took control of Damascus on December 8, 2024. The fall of Assad marked the closure of nearly 25 years of his leadership and ended the six-decade dominance of the Baath Party in Syrian politics. Assad, fleeing to Russia, left behind a nation shattered by a nearly 14-year-long civil war that resulted in approximately 620,000 deaths among a pre-war population of 22 million.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR), along with other rights groups, has repeatedly underscored the regime’s long history of widescale abuses. SNHR’s founder, Fadel Abdul Ghany, highlighted the disturbing trend of forced disappearances, stating that over 100,000 Syrians, including children and women, have vanished since 2011, with a scant few being accounted for through the verification of some 3,000 death certificates.
In the larger frame of international law and justice, the actions taken by Sönmez, Gökdemir, and their global associates are pivotal. By pushing for immediate trials and the arrest of war criminals, they aim to set a precedent that severe violations of human rights will not be tolerated and perpetrators will face significant consequences.
As the international community watches, the unfolding events around the Syrian conflict will continue to serve as a critical test of the effectiveness and reach of global human rights enforcement mechanisms. This coverage aims to report on these significant developments, based on available information.
Disclaimer: This article was automatically written by Open AI. People, facts, circumstances, and the story may contain inaccuracies. Requests for article removals, retractions, or corrections can be sent to contact@publiclawlibrary.org.