Politicians: State, individuals who shed Syrian blood must be held accountable

Several countries, primarily the Turkish occupation, have participated in deepening the rift among the components of the Syrian people through mercenaries who committed the most heinous crimes and massacres against Syrians of all sects. This has caused civil peace to crumble, and holding the perpetrators of massacres accountable has become an indispensable matter to preserve coexistence among the Syrian people.

Syrian politicians affirm that transitional justice and holding war criminals accountable, primarily Turkey, are a fundamental demand of the Syrian people as a whole.

Khaled al-Askar, co-chair of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) in Tabqa Canton, explained that during the 14-year Syrian crisis, many crimes were committed against the Syrian people, claiming the lives of hundreds of Syrians of all religions, sects, and beliefs.

Khaled al-Askar noted that: "These crimes created a rift among the components of the Syrian people, and the perpetrators of crimes across Syria must be held accountable in order to restore relations between Syrians of all backgrounds."

Al-Askar also believes that: "Civil peace cannot be achieved without holding accountable the perpetrators of crimes and massacres, whether those committed by the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries, or those committed by the former regime or extremist factions. The future must be built on a solid foundation based on transitional justice."

For his part, Ahmed al-Khalaf, co-chair of the Future Syria Party Council in Tabqa Canton, stated, "Transitional justice is a very necessary issue. It is a set of legal and judicial measures during the transition from armed conflict and authoritarian regime to democracy. To achieve this transition between the two phases, transitional justice must be implemented against those who committed massacres against the Syrian people over the past 14 years."

Al-Khalaf closely links transitional justice to the establishment of civil peace: "To truly establish civil peace, those with rights must be given their rights."

Al-Khalaf believes that to achieve transitional justice, efforts must be made to establish courts that are free from the authoritarianism that characterized the courts of the former regime. He also believes that genuine national reconciliation committees must be formed, and fact-finding committees must be formed from all segments of Syrian society.

Turkey has a prominent role in the conflicts and the disintegration of the Syrian people.

Al-Khalaf points out that countries that have created sectarian and ethnic conflicts among Syrians, such as Turkey, have played a prominent role in fueling sectarian and ethnic conflicts in Syria. They have recruited thousands of mercenaries to implement their criminal scheme to further their interests, dismantle the Syrian fabric, and occupy Syrian territory. Russia and Iran have also done the same.

Al-Khalaf pointed out: "The countries involved in the bloodshed of Syrians, including Turkey, seek to obstruct transitional justice and protect their mercenaries who have committed crimes, including the killers of the martyr Hevrin Khalaf, Secretary-General of the Future Syria Party, who are on the terrorist lists."

For her part, Fatima al-Abd, the head of the Future Syria Party's Tabqa Council's organizational office, stated, "There can be no just future for Syria without achieving true transitional justice, which ensures accountability, establishes a state of law, and prevents the replication of tyranny. Holding perpetrators of crimes against the Syrian people accountable is not a political option that can be negotiated, but rather a fundamental and human right that does not expire with the passage of time."

Fatima concluded her remarks by explaining that, "Transitional justice means bringing perpetrators to justice, regardless of their positions. It also means reforming the institutions involved in repression and compensating victims financially and morally."

She added, "We, Syrian women, will not be able to contribute to building a new Syria without holding accountable the perpetrators of war crimes, foremost among them the killers of the martyr Hevrin Khalaf, to achieve transitional justice and build a democratic, pluralistic, and decentralized Syria."

T/S

ANHA