Syria regrets Switzerland-led campaign in the UNSC

DAMASCUS,(ST)_Syria regrets that some states insist on not recognizing its duty to protect its people from terrorism imposed on it from abroad, the Expatriates and Foreign Ministry said.

In a letter sent on Friday to the International Security Council’s Head, the FM said: “The Syrian government shares the states, which asked the UN Security Council to refer the Syria crisis to the International Criminal Court, concern over humanitarian situation in Syria and the terrorist groups’ violation of human rights.”

But it regretted that these states persist in adopting a wrong approach as regards their rejection for recognizing the Syrian state’s duty to protect is citizens from terrorisms.

It underscored that some of the signatories of the letters sent to the UNSC to refer the Syria crisis to the ICC are funding, training and sheltering the armed terrorist groups.

“Those states’ support for the armed groups is being covered by political and media campaigns to protect the groups’ crimes and to sully the Syrian state’s image through accusing it of these crimes,” the FM letters read.

‘Unjust’ campaign

It also regretted that Switzerland, which was known as a neutral and objective state, has led the ‘unjust’ campaign against a UN state member (Syria) and defends the terrorist groups’ acts.

“This campaignstresses once again hypocrisy and double- standard policy of the signatories regarding the crisis in Syria and the international human rights laws in general. They voice concern over the Syrian people and international human rights law disregarding the support being offered to the armed terrorist groups,” said the ministry.

It asserted that some signatories are directly supporting the armed groups and hamper the Syrian national dialogue that aims to solve the crisis according the political plan outlined by President Bashar al-Assad.

The Switzerland-led campaign won’t contribute to ending the humanitarian suffering or halting the violations against the international humanitarian law and international human rights law committed by the armed terrorist groups,” the ministry said.

Rather, the Ministry added, these groups would find in this move a form of support for them and for their practices as well as more legitimacy for further killing and destruction.

The ministry called for putting pressure on the states that support terrorists to halt doing that, lift illegal and immoral sanctions imposed on Syria, and stopping ‘Fatwas’ that justify killing in Syria.

The ministry noted that Syria has formed a’ national independent and honest’ investigation committee to probe human rights violations committed by both civilian and military people, stressing that the formed committee is following up its work across Syria and ensures accountability for all violations.

BasmaQaddour