A UN investigation into atrocities committed in Syria has, for the first time, accused Russia of direct involvement in war crimes. The accusation is leveled for indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas to describe Putin war crimes in Syria.
The latest report from the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria focuses on events of July 2019 to January this year. In particular, on attacks perpetrated by “pro-Assad forces” on civilian targets like medical facilities. The attacks resulted in driving 700,000 civilians from their homes.
DIRECT ATTRIBUTION OF RUSSIAN WAR CRIMES
The commission focused on two incidents in which it found substantial evidence that Russian aircraft were directly involved in the bombing of civilian areas. The panel has in the past suggested possible Russian responsibility for war crimes, but this is the first time it has found proof of Moscow’s culpability.
The first incident was a series of air strikes on a market place in Ma’arrat al-Nu’man, a densely populated area 33 km south of Idlib city, on July 22. The commission report describes the attack as a “double tap” air strike, in which a second wave of bombing hit the same target when rescue workers were on the site. The Russian attack killed forty-three civilians, including four children. It injured at least 109.
The second attack the United Nations investigated was the August 16 bombing of a compound for displaced civilians standing alone in fields just outside Haas in southern Idlib governorate. That attack killed 20 people, including eight women and six children. It injured 40 others.
The report said:
Based on the evidence available, including witness testimonies, video footage, data imagery as well as reports by flight spotters, flight communication intercepts and early warning observation reports, the commission has reasonable grounds to believe that a Russian aircraft participated in each incident described above.
In both incidents, the Russian Air Force did not direct the attacks at a specific military objective, amounting to the war crime of launching indiscriminate attacks in civilian areas.
NAMING RUSSIA IS UNUSUAL
While frequently condemning daily atrocities in Syria, the UN usually seeks to avoid naming those responsible. It relies on Assad and its Russian backers to distribute humanitarian relief around much of the country. In other words, no relief to the civilians Putin is bombing in Syria.
Three prominent independent experts make up the the commission of inquiry. Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro a Brazilian legal scholar, Karen Koning AbuZayd, a veteran American UN official, and an Egyptian human rights expert, Hanny Megally. The Human Rights Council established the panel in 2011. Its goal is to provide continuing reports on human rights violations in the Syrian conflict.
Charles Lister, a Syria expert at the Middle East Institute, said:
This is a huge development. The UN very rarely attributes attacks like this, and it is really important that they do so in a report like this. Given the position of the UN in Syria though, it’s not surprising it is tucked away in the report and they haven’t made a big thing of it.
The Russian-backed attack on Idlib has caused a mass exodus of refugees into Turkey. It also caused direct confrontation between Turkish and Russian forces.
Reuters contributed to this article.
COMMENTS