US holds Syrian government responsible for 130,000 missing Syrians
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – The US State Department is following and looking at the validity of reports that talk about the release of political detainees from prisons of the Syrian regime following the issuance of the presidential amnesty, a US official said on Thursday.
“The Syrian regime is still responsible and accountable for the death and suffering of countless Syrians, the displacement of more than half of the population before the war, and the arbitrary arrest and enforced disappearance of more than 130,000 people, including men, women and children,” the US al-Hurra agency quoted a State Department official (whose identity was not revealed) as saying.
“The US remains deeply committed to ensuring accountability for the atrocities that al-Assad regime continues to commit against the Syrians,” the official added.
He stressed that accountability and justice for the crimes and violations committed against Syrians are necessary to achieve a stable, just and lasting peace in Syria and the entire region.
On April 30, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad issued a new decree granting a general amnesty for terrorist crimes committed by Syrians before April 30 2022, except for those resulted in the death of a person.
Hundreds of detainees have been released so far, most notably from Saydnaya and Adra prisons, but the majority were arrested over criminal cases and charges and have nothing to do with the protests called for toppling the Syrian regime that began in March 2011, according to the reports.