A UN commission observes in Syria “a clear sense of relief after decades of repressive regime”

MADRID Jan. 10 (EUROPA PRESS) –

A team from the UN commission of inquiry into Syria, led by Commissioner Hanny Megally, has observed “a clear sense of relief” in the country after decades of repressive rule after the fall of Bashar al Assad, who fled on the 8th. December 2024 of the country after an offensive by jihadists and rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS).

“The fear has dissipated and a new sense of freedom is palpable. People have talked to us about holding our heads up high for the first time in decades. As someone who investigated the massacres in Syria in the 1980s, I deeply understand how long “Syrians have waited for this moment. Although the time ahead is full of challenges, we are hopeful that Syrians will come together to build the country they have always aspired to,” he declared.

Megally, who runs detention centers and mass graves in and around Damascus, has met with several government officials, including those from the Ministry of Justice and Foreign Affairs, with whom he has discussed justice for the victims and their loved ones, the protection of tests, and a “continuous” collaboration with the entity, since the previous Government denied its access since its creation, which “represents a significant change.”

“We congratulate the new authorities for improving the protection of mass graves and evidence in detention centers, and encourage them to continue these efforts, including by reaching out to Syrian civil society organizations and relevant international actors,” he said. declared.

Likewise, he lamented that “being in tiny, windowless cells, still full of stench and marked by unimaginable suffering, has been a harsh reminder of the heartbreaking stories” that the commission has documented throughout almost 14 years of investigations. “These abuses must never be repeated again and those responsible must be held accountable,” he stressed.

The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria was established in August 2011 by the UN Human Rights Council with the mandate to investigate all alleged human rights violations committed since March of that same year. It also tasked the agency with establishing the facts that could constitute such violations and, where possible, identifying those responsible.