Judges at world court say Syrian government tortured Syrians
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – In the initial international case related to the Syrian civil war, judges at the world court were presented with evidence that tens of thousands of individuals have been subjected to torture by the Syrian government, The Guardian reported on Tuesday.
The testimonies revealed the existence of a comprehensive and pervasive system of appalling mistreatment maintained by the Syrian authorities, The Guardian reported.
Canada and the Netherlands have brought Syria before the International Court Of Justice (ICJ), seeking urgent measures to stop the torture of thousands of people still in detention.
Canada and the Netherlands have jointly urged the ICJ to issue an urgent demand to Syria, calling for an immediate cessation of all torture and arbitrary detention. They further emphasized the importance of allowing external inspectors access to prisons and providing families with information regarding the fate of their missing relatives.
While the ICJ typically takes years to reach a verdict, the countries highlight the possibility of expedited “provisional measures” that can be legally binding and implemented within a matter of weeks, according to the source.
The Guardian said, citing Balkees Jarrah, from Human Rights Watch, that the ICJ needed to act “to prevent further abuses against Syrians, who continue to suffer under nightmarish conditions and whose lives are in serious jeopardy”.
On June 12, the governments of Canada and the Netherlands were suing the Syrian government in the ICJ.
In their application, they claimed that “the Syrian government has committed countless violations of International law, beginning at least in 2011,” and demanded emergency measures be taken to protect those at risk of being tortured.