Published : 07-07-2022
The United Nations said more than 300,000 Syrian citizens have died in the last ten years of the war that is still ravaging the country. The conflict, which started in 2011, is nowhere close to an end.
In an interview with Euronews, the UN Syria Commission chair Paulo Pinheiro said these figures -- which do not include combatants -- reflect the gravity of the situation.
"Something that the report reveals very clearly is the absence of the protection of civilians. No faction, no party in the conflict in Syria cares about the protection of the lives of the civilians. That is the reality," Pinheiro said.
He also regretted what he said are "depressing" double standards of hosting refugees, when comparing the treatment received by Syrians and Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion of their homeland in late February.
"There is openness and generosity vis-a-vis the Ukraine that I don't criticise at all. They deserved it. But I would like very much that the same treatment will be applied to the Syrian refugees," Pinheiro stated.
Asked about the possibility of bringing those responsible for the war crimes committed in Syria to the international criminal courts, Pinheiro recognised that national courts will be the ones taking the lead.
"For the time being, I don't see any possibility on the horizon for the referral to the International Criminal Court. And in the present international juncture, it's impossible because [...] most likely the veto for this referral will be repeated in the [UN] Security Council," he said.
AGPS has documented the death of over 4,000 Palestinian refugees due to war-related incidents in Syria, where nearly 2,000 others have also fallen prey to enforced disappearance and/or secret detention.
The United Nations said more than 300,000 Syrian citizens have died in the last ten years of the war that is still ravaging the country. The conflict, which started in 2011, is nowhere close to an end.
In an interview with Euronews, the UN Syria Commission chair Paulo Pinheiro said these figures -- which do not include combatants -- reflect the gravity of the situation.
"Something that the report reveals very clearly is the absence of the protection of civilians. No faction, no party in the conflict in Syria cares about the protection of the lives of the civilians. That is the reality," Pinheiro said.
He also regretted what he said are "depressing" double standards of hosting refugees, when comparing the treatment received by Syrians and Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion of their homeland in late February.
"There is openness and generosity vis-a-vis the Ukraine that I don't criticise at all. They deserved it. But I would like very much that the same treatment will be applied to the Syrian refugees," Pinheiro stated.
Asked about the possibility of bringing those responsible for the war crimes committed in Syria to the international criminal courts, Pinheiro recognised that national courts will be the ones taking the lead.
"For the time being, I don't see any possibility on the horizon for the referral to the International Criminal Court. And in the present international juncture, it's impossible because [...] most likely the veto for this referral will be repeated in the [UN] Security Council," he said.
AGPS has documented the death of over 4,000 Palestinian refugees due to war-related incidents in Syria, where nearly 2,000 others have also fallen prey to enforced disappearance and/or secret detention.
