SDC calls for accountability for those involved in the use of chemical weapons

The Syrian Democratic Council issued a statement today on the anniversary of the chemical "Ghouta massacre", which was committed in 2013, which stated:

"On the eleventh anniversary of the chemical Ghouta massacre, we stand today in mourning and remembrance of a humanitarian tragedy that is still in all our minds, that massacre that claimed the lives of more than 1,400 defenseless civilians in Eastern Ghouta in the Damascus countryside, including a large number of children and women, as a result of the use of internationally banned sarin gas in a treacherous attack that is considered one of the most heinous crimes in modern times.

On August 21, 2013, the world woke up to terrifying scenes of bodies lying motionless on the ground, as the attack was not just an attack on a group of civilians, but rather an attack on all of humanity, and on values and principles Which unites us as peoples seeking peace and justice.

The passage of eleven years since this heinous crime without achieving the desired justice is a stain on the forehead of the international community, which has so far failed to hold the perpetrators of this massacre accountable, and to provide the necessary support to the victims and their families, which constitutes a dangerous precedent in the laws of the international system, and exacerbates the suffering and tragedy of the Syrian people.

As we in the Syrian Democratic Council renew our demands for the necessity of opening independent and transparent international investigations to hold accountable all those involved in the use of chemical weapons against civilians, we affirm that achieving justice is not only related to providing justice to the victims and their families, but also constitutes a decisive step towards ending impunity that has encouraged the commission of more crimes against the Syrian people.

We also emphasize the importance of strengthening international efforts to protect Syrian civilians from all forms of violence and violations, and working to find a comprehensive political solution to the Syrian crisis based on international legitimacy resolutions, most notably Resolution (2,254), and in a way that achieves the aspirations of the Syrian people for freedom and dignity. The world today faces a historic responsibility to put an end to the ongoing suffering of the Syrian people, and to create conditions conducive to the return of refugees and displaced persons to their homes with dignity and safety.

The memory of the victims of Ghouta and others like them who lost their lives as a result of the crimes committed, obliges us as Syrians to reject differences and unite for the benefit of the Syrian people, as unity is the best way to put an end to the commission of such crimes, to have the ability to hold accountable and achieve justice for the victims, and to reach the free, dignified and safe life that the Syrian people deserve.

T/ Satt.

ANHA