Syrian witness implores US to impose sanctions on Syrian government
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – A Syrian witness, who was forced to dig mass graves on orders from the authorities of the Syrian government, urged a US House Foreign Affairs subcommittee hearing on Tuesday to prevent Arab countries from normalizing ties with the Syrian government.
Middle East Eye reported that the witness, who attended the hearing virtually, told lawmakers in the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee hearing, that there will be ‘consequences for those who normalize’ with the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Recently, several countries, most notably Gulf States, started trying to normalize ties with the Syrian government, including United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, and Saudi Arabia, following the devastating earthquakes that hit the country in February.
On Tuesday, al-Assad received Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan at the People’s Palace, where they discussed the bilateral ties between the two countries and other political international and regional files.
The witness, who was able to escape Syria to Europe after seven years of working as a gravedigger for the Syrian government, implored the US President Joe Biden to strengthen the US sanctions on al-Assad and pledge not to normalize relations with him.
He also stressed that those who are normalizing ties with the Syrian government are accomplice in the war crimes committed by al-Assad.
“The Syrian people look to the United States to ensure that there are consequences for those who normalise with the criminal regime,” the Middle East Eye cited the witness as saying.
“Twice a week, three trailer trucks were packed with 300 to 600 bodies of victims of torture, starvation and execution from military hospitals and intelligence branches in the Syrian capital of Damascus,” the congressional witness said.
In addition, he said that he used to receive three to four pickup trucks packed with “30 to 40 bodies, still warm, of civilians that had been executed” in Saydnaya military prison, near Damascus.