Syrian Officials Accused of Torture, ‘Terrorism’ in Criminal Complaint
Nine security and intelligence officials have been accused of torture, executions and other atrocities in the first case of Syrian government human rights’ violations being brought to a western court.
International lawyers included some 3,600 pages of evidence linking the officials to atrocities committed in government prisons and military-run hospitals in Syria, in a criminal complaint filed in Spain’s National Court on Wednesday, according to the New York Times.
The court has previously taken on international human rights cases, including one against former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet in 1998. Lawyers have pushed for it to do the same in the Syrian case, as they represent the sister – now a Spanish citizen – of a Syrian victim, the newspaper reported. Her brother was reportedly tortured to death in a Syrian prison in December 2013, according to Middle East Eye.
“The evidence submitted clearly demonstrates that the Syrian state led by President Bashar al-Assad committed the crime of terrorism against its civil population using its security forces and intelligence apparatus,” the woman’s lawyers said in a statement.
Syrian Army to Advance Against ISIS in North Aleppo
The Syrian army said Thursday it would advance on so-called Islamic State militants in the northern Aleppo countryside, despite warnings that it would be encroaching on Turkey’s separate anti-ISIS campaign in the area, according to Reuters.
In recent weeks, Syrian military forces advanced to within 4 miles (6km) of the ISIS-controlled city of al-Bab in northeastern Aleppo province, a move that “widens the secured areas around Aleppo city and is the starting point for [further] operations against Daesh [Islamic State],” a military spokesman said in a statement on state TV. The military “confirms its commitment to … protecting civilians and maintaining the unity of the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic,” he added.
The Syrian government has accused Turkey of a “blatant violation” of its sovereignty through its incursion into the war. Turkish forces have been fighting ISIS and Kurdish troops in northern Syria as part of Ankara’s “Operation Euphrates Shield,” which was launched in August and has seen Turkey partner with rebels on the ground who are also combating government forces.
Water Reportedly Cut Off From ISIS Stronghold Raqqa
Suspected coalition airstrikes on a pipeline near the de facto ISIS capital of Raqqa have cut off the water supply to the militant stronghold, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).
“After coalition airstrikes, the main water line was ruptured and water was cut to all of Raqqa city,” Hamoud al-Mousa, a member of the anti-ISIS activist group Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently, told the agency. “People were heading to the river at dawn today to get water.”
The pipeline ran alongside the old bridge leading into Raqqa city. The crossing was hit overnight along with several other bridges in the area, and the pipeline was destroyed, al-Mousa added.
RECOMMENDED READS:
- CBC News: Donald Trump’s Travel Ban May Send Syrian Doctor to Canada
- The Washington Post: A Photo of Her Brother’s Corpse Popped Up on Her Phone. Now Syrian Officials Could Be Put on Trial for War Crimes
- The New York Times: For Syrian Girl in Need of Medical Care, Trump’s Travel Ban Adds to a Nomadic Tragedy
- The Atlantic: The Organization That Sent Tulsi Gabbard to Syria
- The Associated Press: Rebuilding Shattered Aleppo Will Take Billions – And Peace