Top UN court orders Syrian government to prevent torture
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered on Thursday the Syrian government to take all the measures to prevent torture, cruel and other inhuman treatment.
The Syrian government “shall take all measures within its power to prevent acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment,” The ICJ, a top UN court that is located in The Hague, said.
The court confirmed that the Syrian government officials, organizations and persons “do not commit any acts of torture or other acts of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”
The order comes after both Canada and The Netherlands filed a case claiming that the Syria government “has committed countless violations of International law, beginning at least in 2011.”
Following the order, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) said the ICJ order responds to the Netherlands’ and Canada’s request for what are known as “provisional measures,” aimed at stopping ongoing violations and supporting steps necessary for future proceedings.
“The World Court’s landmark order requires Syrian authorities to prevent acts of torture against its own citizens,” said Balkees Jarrah, associate international justice director at the HRW. “With systematic and widespread torture still a reality in Syria, the implementation of this ruling will be a matter of life or death for many Syrians in detention centers across the country.”
The order further demanded that the Syrian government must take effective measures to prevent the destruction and ensure the preservation of any evidence related to allegations of acts related to torture and cruelty.
UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry (IICI) on the Syrian government welcomed the ICJ’s order binding the government to take all measures within its power to prevent acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and ensure that its officials – as well as any organizations or persons under its control, direction or influence – do not commit any such acts.
“This is a landmark order by the world’s top court to stop torture, enforced disappearances and deaths in Syria’s detention facilities,” said IICI Chair Paulo Pinheiro. “Such violations have been a hallmark of the Syrian conflict for 12 years – and were among its chief root causes.”
“After over a decade of torture by the Syrian authorities, the World Court’s order could be key to breaking the cycle of abuse and impunity that the world has watched in horror as it unfolded,” Jarrah noted, adding that, “governments should now ensure that the court’s order is enforced to stop future abuses and bring accountability.”
By John Ahmad