U.N. investigator warns of rising ISIS threat in Syria
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, chairman of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria, warned on Tuesday of the increasing activity of the Islamic State (ISIS) in the region.
Speaking at the 58th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Pinheiro noted that thousands of ISIS members remain detained in prisons run by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Pinheiro urged member states to repatriate their citizens and prosecute those involved in crimes.
He also cautioned that ongoing violence in Syria risks escalating into a broader conflict.
“Ending ongoing violence will also require a complete nationwide ceasefire, the disarming and reintegration of armed groups, securing public order, and ending the presence of foreign militaries on Syrian territory.”
Pinheiro added that Syria’s caretaker government and future Syrian authorities “have an opportunity to chart a new path and ensure that the horrors of the past and of the last few weeks are never repeated, and to rebuild trust in a manner that respects the beauty and variety of Syrian society.”
Additionally, he urged the lifting of sectoral sanctions and the removal of barriers hindering recovery and reconstruction efforts.
“Syria’s economic and humanitarian situation remains catastrophic while humanitarian funding is dwindling. Economic despair is known to fuel violence. We urgently call for an end to all sectoral sanctions and the removal of other barriers to recovery and reconstruction,” he said.