Independent International Commission of Inquiry calls for lifting all sanctions imposed on Syria

The Chair of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria, Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, called for lifting all sanctions imposed on Syria and for removing of other obstacles impeding recovery and reconstruction.

In a speech delivered before the 58th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva yesterday, Pinheiro considered that Syrians have a great opportunity to chart a new future for their country, and they should decide what steps they will take in terms of accountability, truth-telling, searching for missing persons, and reform.

Pineiro said: Syria’s future will be determined by how the Syrian authorities and people deal with past and recent violations.

He noted that the wounds left by decades of dictatorship and human rights violations under the former regime were not expected to heal quickly.

Pinheiro noted that the Syrian government granted the Independent Commission of Inquiry immediate access to Syria, which provided an opportunity to hold preliminary discussions with the new administration on a number of human rights issues and to visit prisons and centers used by the former regime, where torture and executions of civilians were documented.

Pinheiro emphasized that these visits confirmed the strength and resilience of the Syrian people.

Pinheiro also expressed his hope to meet with the Independent Committee for investigating into the Syrian Coast events and to present comprehensive findings to the Syrian people and their government.

Raghda Sawas