Syrians urge UN investigators not to cede to pressure to stay silent on Russia’s and Iran’s brutal and illegal actions in Aleppo
On Wednesday 11 January, Fadel Abdul Ghany, Chairman of the Syrian Network for Human Rights and Husam Alkatlaby, Executive Director of the Violations Documentation Center met with UN investigators from the independent international Commission of Inquiry on Syria to present detailed evidence of Russian and Iranian war crimes in Aleppo and to demand an impartial investigation of their atrocities in the formerly besieged city, as required by the upcoming UN special inquiry on the situation in Aleppo.
During their highly productive and informative meeting, Abdul Ghany and Alkatlaby discussed the 15 December 2016 dossier that they, the White Helmets and Independent Doctors Association submitted to the Commission, identifying 304 incidents in which there was a “high likelihood” that Russia violated international humanitarian and human rights law in Aleppo. Russian attacks in Aleppo include the bombing of hospitals and other vital health facilities, indiscriminate attacks on women and children, the use of banned and incendiary weapons, and attacks on humanitarian aid convoys.