‘Syrians have been subjected to a horrifying catalogue of human rights violations that caused untold human suffering on a vast scale’ - Agnès Callamard 

Responding to the ousting of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad following the seizure of power by opposition forces in the capital Damascus, Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, said:

“After over five decades of brutality and repression, the people of Syria may finally have an opportunity to live free of fear with their rights respected. 

“Under the rule of Bashar al-Assad - and before him his father Hafez al-Assad - Syrians have been subjected to a horrifying catalogue of human rights violations that caused untold human suffering on a vast scale.

“This included attacks with chemical weapons, barrel bombs and other war crimes, as well as murder, torture, enforced disappearance and extermination that amount to crimes against humanity. This historic opportunity must be now be seized and decades of grave human rights violations redressed.

“Amnesty calls on opposition forces to break free from the violence of the past. The most important step is justice, and not retribution. We urge all parties to the present conflict to fully respect the laws of armed conflict. 

“This includes the obligation not to attack anyone who clearly expresses an intention to surrender, including Government forces, and to treat anyone taken into custody humanely.

“Any measures proposed to move forward from this deadly chapter in Syria’s history need to be rooted in the principles of justice, accountability and non-recurrence. 

“Suspected perpetrators of crimes under international law and other serious human rights violations must be investigated, and if warranted, prosecuted for their crimes in fair trials and without the possibility of the death penalty.

“For the families of Syria’s tens of thousands of forcibly disappeared, the release of detainees from the many prisons across the country - including Saydnaya military prison - raises the prospect that they could finally discover the fate of their missing loved ones, in some cases decades later.

“As much as possible in the circumstances, attempts must be made to collate and preserve evidence of any crimes committed, past or present, to ensure accountability.

“It is vital that prison records and other documentation is preserved, as such information could provide critical evidence on the fate of the disappeared and be used in future prosecutions and trials for crimes under international law.

“We urge the international community to centre Syrian voices in this transition. They must support the victims of the Assad government’s atrocities to secure justice and reparations for crimes under international law in Syria. 

“This includes launching universal jurisdiction cases against suspected perpetrators, and supporting the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism for Syria as well as the UN institution on Missing Persons recently established to clarify the fate of the disappeared.”

In a statement broadcast live on Syrian national television earlier today, opposition forces claimed to have ended Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s rule and freed political prisoners. Assad is reported to have left the country.

‘Human Slaughterhouse’

Amnesty’s 2017 report, Human Slaughterhouse, revealed how the Syrian authorities under Bashar al-Assad had carried out killings, torture, enforced disappearance, mass hangings and extermination of detainees in the Saydnaya military prison - Syria’s most notorious detention centre - as part of a widespread and systematic attack against civilians amounting to crimes against humanity. Since the uprising began in Syria in 2011, Amnesty has documented how Syrian government forces - with the support of Russia - repeatedly attacked areas controlled by armed opposition groups, carrying out indiscriminate and direct attacks on civilian homes, hospitals and medical facilities, including artillery shelling and airstrikes, often using unguided weapons such as barrel bombs, incendiary weapons and internationally-banned cluster munitions.