UN Rapporteur Advocates for Assad's Prosecution at ICC
Alice Gill Edwards, the UN Special Rapporteur on torture, has called for the prosecution of Bashar al-Assad, the ousted president of Syria, at the International Criminal Court (ICC). Edwards emphasized that the ICC is the most appropriate venue for holding Assad accountable for the extensive human rights violations and torture perpetrated under his regime. She highlighted the systematic use of torture as a means of oppression and control, which has been documented since the onset of the Syrian revolution in 2011.
Edwards pointed out that the evidence collected by her office aligns with the reports of torture and other crimes that have emerged following the regime's fall. She urged the new Syrian administration to recognize the ICC's jurisdiction, allowing for a formal trial against Assad. Furthermore, she called on the international community to support investigations into the regime's actions, stressing the necessity of independent and impartial inquiries into torture, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and unlawful killings. "It is time for Assad to face justice, and the most appropriate place to try him is the International Criminal Court," she stated, underlining the importance of global collaboration in addressing these human rights abuses.
