By Sarah Tayara / GICJ

After more than a decade of conflict, the Syrian people are experiencing a humanitarian tragedy. On September 22, 2022, at the 51st session of the Human Rights Council, Mr Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, the Chair of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) on Syria, gave an oral update on the human rights situation in the country. Despite a general decrease in the level of violence, Syrians face increasing and intolerable hardships. Millions are displaced, resources are scarcer than ever, and a cholera outbreak has crippled the country. Mr Pinheiro continued by discussing the troubling issue of arbitrary detention, primarily in government-controlled areas, highlighting the immense suffering endured by those forcibly displaced and their families.

The Syrian delegate rejected the mandate of the Commission and its report, insisting that it was a platform to shame the Syrian government and smear it with unfounded allegations. The delegates of Iran and Russia supported Syria’s statement and criticised the Commission’s encroachment on Syria’s sovereignty. Other delegations firmly condemned the ongoing violations committed against civilians by the Syrian authorities and other actors involved in the conflict.

Geneva International Centre for Justice (GICJ) welcomes the COI’s findings and condemns the abuse and suffering that the people of Syria have endured for so long. We call upon the Syrian government to immediately release all arbitrarily detained civilians. Maintaining the status quo is no longer an option. The time has come to finally put the interests of the Syrian people above the agendas of the parties in the conflict. In the spirit of Mr Pinheiro, we urge the international community not to look away from the Syrian people. The time has come to finally put the interests of the Syrian people above the agendas of the parties in the conflict.

International Humanitarian Law, Syrian Conflict, Syrian War, Syrian Suffering, Commission of Inquiry Syria, Human Rights, Human Rights Council, HRC51, Syria, Justice, GICJ, Geneva4Justice, Geneva International Centre for Justice