On 11 April, at the invitation of Independent Diplomat, Fadel Abdul Ghany, chairman of the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR), held a series of meetings in Brussels with EU Member State and a range of international NGOs, to press for European leadership in ending the Syrian crisis.
In his meetings, Mr. Ghany stressed the need for:
A. Clear EU opposition to Assad’s war crimes and his involvement in any political transition. Given the horrific scale of Assad’s atrocities, which constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity, it is vital that the EU refuse to legitimize the Assad regime in any form.
B. Support national and international accountability paths, including by leading efforts within the UN General Assembly to establish a Special Tribunal on Syria.
C. Increasing humanitarian aid to Idlib governorate, including by ear-marking European funds to support cross-border assistance.
Discussions focused on how Syrian civil society groups and the European Union can partner to achieve progress on accountability and a de-escalation of the violence. Efforts to end the Syrian crisis and achieve a political solution through the UN-led political process were also discussed.
