In the aftermath of Saturday’s chemical weapons attack in Douma by the Assad regime – which killed at least 40 civilians – Syrian civil society representatives call on European leaders to take action to protect civilians and impose consequences for the regime and its backers’ ongoing military onslaught.
Commenting on the chemical attack, Husam Alkataby, Executive Director of the Violations Documentation Center in Syria, warned, “The international community cannot let another massacre by the Assad regime go unpunished. It is crucial that the EU and others impose credible consequences on Assad’s military and his backers to deter further atrocities and bring this horrific conflict to an end. The situation on the ground requires a sustained, comprehensive response that deters all indiscriminate attacks. At the EU we are calling for leadership that redresses the lack of justice and accountability, which has emboldened that Syrian regime to repeatedly use chemical weapons to kill and injure civilians. In particular we urge the EU to support the establishment of an international venue for the prosecution of war criminals through the UN General Assembly.”
Last week the US announced new targeted sanctions against senior Russian oligarchs close to Putin, as well as government officials and entities that are directly supporting the Assad regime’s killing machine in Syria. Fadel Abdul Ghany, Chairman of the Syrian Network for Human Rights, urged Europe to do the same:
