UN investigators report evidence of crimes in Syria and call for national dialogue

"Still a lot of evidence" of crimes "preserved" in Syria Keystone-SDA

United Nations (UN) investigators in Geneva say there’s still plenty of evidence of crimes in Syria, despite images showing compromised sites or missing documents.

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The investigators also expressed impatience regarding the national dialogue promised by the regime.

“We hope this can be used in the future,” Hanny Megally, a member of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria, told UN-accredited correspondents in Geneva on Friday. “Sednaya prison has been largely emptied of documents,” added Megally, who recently visited Syria.

He saw rooms where some files had been burned, but others were untouched. “We were told that the files of the interior and justice ministries are intact,” said Megally, who couldn’t verify this himself.

He believes many of the destroyed documents likely have copies. However, he avoided speculating about the number of mass graves or detention centres in the country, given the volatile situation.

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The commission of inquiry, which doesn’t speak on behalf of the UN, has noted signs of arrests and releases since the takeover of Damascus. However, it says it’s “premature” to determine the exact numbers.

Geneva-based players in dialogue with groups in Syria

Megally reiterated that the commission is ready to help Syrians establish accountability. He also expressed impatience for the national dialogue conference to take place. “The principle of having a dialogue where everyone comes together is a good one, but it will take time,” he explained.

He also views the dismantling of dozens of groups that took Damascus with the Islamist militant group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and their regrouping into a new Syrian army as a positive step. “It’s not as simple as it sounds,” he explains. “The challenges are enormous, but we remain optimistic,” he added.

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Several Geneva-based organisations are in dialogue with these groups. The NGO Geneva Call has been working with nearly all of them for years to ensure they honour international humanitarian law. The Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue has also been in contact with HTS.

In recent years, the commission has condemned numerous acts constituting crimes against humanity and war crimes, particularly by the Bashar al-Assad regime and HTS. It now aims to establish regular links with the provisional authorities to address any new violations observed in Syria.

Translated from French with DeepL/sp

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