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HRW: Russia, Syria behind Aleppo ‘war crimes’

December 2, 2016 at 4:54 pm

Syrians living in Aleppo flee the city due to ongoing regime forces attacks and move to opposition controlled areas on December 1, 2016 [Ibrahim Ebu Leys/Anadolu Agency]

The Russian-Syrian alliance committed war crimes during a month-long aerial and artillery bombardment campaign against opposition-controlled eastern Aleppo in September and October, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said.

The New York-based international human rights organisation cited the Violations Documentation Centre, a Syrian civil monitoring organisation, as having documented more than 440 civilians, including 90 children, during the month long onslaught that is now continuing with a land assault into the Syrian opposition’s territory.

The Assad regime and Russian airstrikes were indiscriminate and deliberately targeted at least one medical facility, including the use of cluster munitions and incendiary weapons.

HRW also examined satellite imagery that shows more than 950 new distinct impact sites that were consistent with the detonation of large high explosive munitions across the area during the month in question.

“Using that amount of firepower in an urban area with tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of civilians predictably killed hundreds of civilians,” said Ole Solvang, deputy emergencies director at HRW.

“Those who ordered and carried out unlawful attacks should be tried for war crimes,” Solvang added.

Calls for UN actions as Aleppo violence intensifies

HRW’s report comes as the Assad regime continues to press its offensive in the beleaguered city, with all the opposition factions now having dissolved and reformulated as a unified military force they have called the “Army of Aleppo”.

The anti-Assad regime forces united in response to the Syrian government’s advance, supported by Russia and Shia Iran. Many reports also indicated that the regime’s advance was made possible by the use of chlorine laced barrel bombs being dropped on civilian targets, a breach of Syria’s international commitments to disarm its chemical weapon arsenal.

Amnesty International, meanwhile, reported earlier this week that there are credible fears that the Syrian government may commit atrocities against the people of Aleppo should it succeed in taking the opposition-held eastern districts.

The Assad regime, backed by Iran-backed Iraqi, Afghan and Lebanese Shia militias such as Hezbollah, may consider civilians as sympathetic to the opposition, largely Sunni, and perpetrate violations of international human rights law in a sectarian orgy of violence.

A global coalition of 223 nongovernmental organisations yesterday called upon UN member states to request an emergency special session of the UN General Assembly to demand an end to all unlawful attacks on civilians in Aleppo and elsewhere in Syria, and immediate and unhindered humanitarian access so that life-saving aid can reach all those in need.

Member states should also explore possible avenues to bring those responsible for serious crimes under international law on all sides to justice, the organisations said.

The appeal comes in response to Russia’s 8 October veto of a draft UN Security Council resolution demanding an end to all aerial bombardment of Aleppo, the fifth such time Moscow has blocked Security Council action since the conflict began in 2011. It was also the first-time China broke ranks with Russia on a Syria veto and abstained.