The 11th Anniversary of the Chemical Massacre in Syria

Statement of the Syrian Democratic Alliance on the 11th Anniversary of the Chemical Massacre in Syria

On the 11th anniversary of the chemical attack carried out by the Syrian regime on the Eastern and Western Ghoutas in the Damascus countryside, we remember the horrific crime that claimed the lives of over 1,500 innocent civilians. This massacre took place in the early hours of August 21, 2013, when the Syrian regime used airstrikes and rocket launchers to inflict maximum casualties, leaving behind harrowing scenes of destruction and fear.

Despite the passage of eleven years since this heinous crime, many survivors continue to suffer from its psychological and physical effects, exacerbated by the ongoing impunity of the perpetrators. The Syrian regime and its accomplices, who were involved in committing this massacre, have yet to be brought to justice.

International humanitarian law unequivocally considers the use of chemical weapons a crime, regardless of military objectives, as their effects extend beyond the battlefield, causing widespread and indiscriminate suffering to all living beings. Despite the Assad regime’s agreement to destroy its chemical weapons stockpile in September 2013, evidence gathered by international investigative teams confirms the regime’s continued use of these weapons thereafter.
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has documented 106 instances of chemical weapons use in Syria following the massacre.

Statement text

 

In this context, the Syrian Democratic Alliance emphasizes that a political solution in Syria cannot be achieved without real accountability for those responsible for the use of chemical weapons.

The Alliance calls for the referral of the Syrian regime’s use of these weapons to the International Criminal Court and urges all democratic nations and human rights organizations to take serious action to hold all those involved in war crimes and crimes against humanity against the Syrian people accountable, regardless of their affiliations or positions.

Freedom for Syria and its people, justice for the victims, and shame and disgrace to the criminals.