Including 43 Massacres at the hand of Syrian and Russian regime
SNHR has published its monthly special report documenting the massacres perpetrated by the different conflict parties in Syria.
The report outlines the massacres in July 2016. The report refers to an incident as a massacre if it involves the killing of five peaceful people at once. Based on this definition, the report records that 56 massacres were perpetrated in July 2016 where 34 massacres were perpetrated by government forces, nine by allegedly Russian forces, five massacre by ISIS, four massacres by the international coalition forces, one massacre by armed opposition factions, three massacres by unidentified groups.
According to the report, government forces perpetrated nine massacres in Idlib, four in Homs, seven massacres in both Damascus suburbs and Aleppo, two massacres in both Deir Ez-Zour and Hama, and three in Daraa. Russian forces perpetrated seven massacres in Aleppo and two massacres in Idlib, while ISIS perpetrated two massacres in Al Hasaka and one massacre in Aleppo, Damascus suburbs and Al Raqqa. Additionally, international coalition forces perpetrated four massacres in Aleppo and armed opposition factions perpetrated one massacre in Damascus. The report recorded two massacres in Aleppo and one massacre in Daraa perpetrated by unidentified groups.
The report notes that 778 individuals including 246 children and 150 women were killed in the massacres of July meaning that 51% of the victims were women and children which is a considerably high percentage that indicates that civilian residents were the target in most of these massacres.
The report outlines the death toll of the massacres that were perpetrated in July where government forces killed 337 individuals including 89 children and 57 women while Russian forces killed 130 individuals including 48 children and 20 women. Additionally, 105 civilians including 13 children and 19 women were killed in the massacres perpetrated by ISIS while 143 civilians, including 76 children and 33 women, were killed in the massacres perpetrated by international coalition forces.
Furthermore, armed opposition factions killed 10 civilians including two children and four women. 53 civilians, including 18 children and 17 women, were killed in the massacres perpetrated by unidentified groups.
The report affirms that the bombing incidents, deliberate or indiscriminate, targeted armless civilians, thus, government forces and Russian forces have violated the articles of the international human rights law which guarantee the right to life. Furthermore, these violations were perpetrated during a non-international armed conflict which amount to war crimes as all elements of a war crime have been fulfilled.
Furthermore, these attacks, especially bombing, have resulted in collateral damage that involved casualties, injuries, and damages to civil facilities. There are strong indicators that prove that the damage was deeply severe compared to the estimated military benefit. In all of the cases, we didn’t find any military targets before or during these attacks.
Additionally, the magnitude of the massacres, its frequent pattern, the exaggerated use of strength, its military nature, the indiscriminate manner of the bombing, and the coordinated approach of these attacks must be based on high orders, and a state policy.
The report calls for referring the case in Syria the International Criminal Court and stop the disrupting of the decisions that must be adopted by the Security Council against the Syrian government. This disruption is a wrong message to all dictatorships around the world and supports the culture of crime. Also, immediate sanctions must be imposed on all individuals involved in widespread human rights violations.
Moreover, the report calls for binding the Syrian government to allow all relief and human rights organizations to enter Syria, in addition to the International Intendent Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic and journalists and let them work without any obstructions.
The report emphasizes that all militias that are fighting with the Syrian government and have committed widespread massacres such as Hezbollah, other Shiite brigades, National Defense Army, and “Shabiha”, must be listed on the international list of terrorist organizations.
Finally, the report calls for the implementation of “Responsibility to Protect” norm agreed to by the United Nations General Assembly in 2005, in Syria as it is direly needed there.