By Abdulsalam Khoja
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Human rights activists believe that monitoring and documenting human rights violations that occur during conflicts is necessary in order to gather evidence, testimonies, and data that can be used later in the transitional phase.
Furthermore, every report issued by international organizations regarding violations in northern and eastern Syria will have a role and impact in holding the perpetrators of these violations accountable in the future.
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria (IICI) recently issued a report stating that Turkish airstrikes in northern Syria may amount to war crimes, as they led to the deprivation of basic services for one million people and resulted in the killing of civilians.
The report mentioned that in some cases, they were directly involved in war crimes in what Turkey calls a safe zone, noting that the Turkish occupation of parts of northern Syria has facilitated the creation of an environment where the law is absent, violations prevail, and impunity reigns, which is far from being a safe zone.
Global jurisdiction to prosecute perpetrators of crimes
The executive director of Syrians for Truth and Justice Organization, Bassam al-Ahmad, believes that the report of the IICI will have a legal impact in the future.
He added that in the medium and long term, the report will have a legal impact, and these documents and reports will be used to condemn and hold accountable any party that committed these violations, including Turkey.
Al-Ahmad told North Press that the importance and credibility of the committee’s report lie in its condemnation of all parties to the conflict in Syria, pointing out that when the information is accurate, neutral, and independent, it gains credibility and helps uncover the truth in the future.
He also mentioned efforts to utilize global jurisdiction to prosecute the perpetrators of crimes.
Professional and impartial reports
In late February 2024, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated that Turkey bears responsibility for serious violations and potential war crimes committed by its forces and the armed groups it supports in the areas it occupies in northern Syria.
Adam Coogle, the Deputy Director of the Middle East division at the HRW, said that the Turkish officials are not mere bystanders to the violations; they bear responsibility as an occupying power.
Lawyer and human rights activist Jowan Isso says that the HRW report confirmed the involvement of the Turkish state in committing violations and crimes in the occupied areas.
He added that Turkey does not follow international decisions, UN Charter, or agreements prohibiting violations like displacement, forced demographic change, displacing indigenous populations, and building settlements.
Isso believes international human rights reports are crucial, as they address confirmed involvement of the Turkish state and its-affiliated factions in crimes taking place in Syria.
He stated the crime is evident, massacres exist, and victims are present, families in camps, some people are missing and disappeared, as well as deliberate killings are taking place inside and outside occupied areas. All this condemns the perpetrators.
Isso emphasizes the need for a clear mechanism and strategy through the establishment of human rights, political, and diplomatic committees, and the creation of joint reports through documentation. Consequently, these reports should be officially submitted to international bodies, the international community, and even the guarantor countries in Syria, namely the U.S. and Russia.