HRW urges Syrian government to hold perpetrators of abuses accountable
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Thursday that the Syrian government must hold perpetrators of violations accountable and undertake comprehensive reform of the security sector.
In a section of a report released today, HRW added that the renewed clashes between government forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in January resulted in 23 deaths and the displacement of more than 100,000 people.
The organization said that these recent clashes underscore the need for comprehensive security sector reform and accountability for those responsible for grave abuses.
The HRW stated that if the authorities are unwilling or unable to conduct trials that meet international fair trial standards, the United Nations and concerned governments should intervene to support accountability efforts.
It added that the Syrian authorities should pursue genuine security sector reform by vetting abusive personnel, enforcing discipline, and bringing armed groups under accountable state authority or demobilizing them.
Human Rights Watch also said that Syrian government forces and local Bedouin and Druze armed groups were responsible for grave abuses during clashes in the southern Suwayda governorate in July last year.
The organization explained that on July 14, government security forces shelled Druze positions in support of Bedouin armed groups, while Druze fighters responded with attacks against government and Bedouin forces, killing and injuring hundreds of civilians and displacing tens of thousands.
According to the organization, military forces affiliated with Syria’s transitional government have previously been implicated in serious abuses against minorities, particularly Alawite Syrians in March.
Adam Coogle, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, said: “The government’s acknowledgment of atrocities is not enough if those leading and directing abusive forces are shielded from justice. Without senior-level accountability and structural reform of the security sector, Syria will continue to face cycles of violence and reprisals.”
Human Rights Watch said that “the Syrian interim government has failed to take adequate steps to impartially investigate abuses committed by all parties during the fighting on July 16.”