UN Report: Russia, Turkey May Have Carried out War Crimes in Syria

  • 3/2/2020
  • 00:00
  • 10
  • 0
  • 0
news-picture

UN investigators said on Monday that Russia and Turkey have committed actions in Syria that could amount to war crimes. A report by a UN commission on the period between July, 2019 and Feb 2020, found that Russia conducted airstrikes on a popular market and a camp for displaced people that killed dozens of civilians in July and August. "In both incidents, the Russian Air Force did not direct the attacks at a specific military objective, amounting to the war crime of launching indiscriminate attacks in civilian areas," it said. The UN investigators called for ensuring accountability for a "multitude of violations". The report highlighted abuses by rebels allied to Turkey during an assault against Kurdish-held areas, saying if the rebels were acting under the control of Turkish military forces, those commanders may be liable for war crimes. It also demanded Turkey to investigate whether it carried out an airstrike on a civilian convoy near Ras al Ain that killed 11 people last October. Turkey earlier denied having any role in the strike, however the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it was conducted by Turkish air craft, according to Reuters. It also blamed Russia for a strike in Maarat al-Numan on July 22 that killed at least 43 civilians. Two residential buildings and up to 25 shops were destroyed after at Russian planes left Hmeimim air base and circled the area. The report said that only few weeks later, another attack on the Haas compound for displaced killed no less than 20 people and injured 40 others. The dead included women and children. "Based on the evidence available, including witness testimonies, video footage, data imagery as well as reports by flight spotters, flight communication intercepts and early warning observation reports, the Commission has reasonable grounds to believe that a Russian aircraft participated in each incident described," it said. A surge in fighting in northwest Syria has uprooted 1 million civilians since December. On Monday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan called on Syrian regime forces in northwest Syria to withdraw to lines determined by Ankara, adding that their losses in attacks by Turkey and rebel forces were just beginning. "If they do not withdraw to the lines Turkey has determined as soon as possible, they will not have a head left on their shoulders," Erdogan said in a speech in Ankara, Reuters reported.

مشاركة :