Syria war crimes trials can 'reduce the accountability gap,' UN rights chief says

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said Germany's recent conviction of a former Syrian regime officer marked an important first step.
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Sedra Alshehabi stands with a placard with the picture of her father Ali and a text reading 'First step, but my father and 130,000 are still in jail' after the verdict in the trial of Syrian defendant Eyad al-Gharib, accused of crimes against humanity in the first trial of its kind to emerge from the Syrian conflict on Feb. 24, 2021, in Koblenz, Germany. Eyad al-Gharib, 44, former Syrian intelligence service agent was sentenced to four and a half years in jail for complicity in crimes against humanity in the first court case over state-sponsored torture by the Syrian government. - THOMAS LOHNES/AFP via Getty Images)
Al Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Al-Monitor Staff

The international community must step up its pursuit of truth, justice and reparations for the many victims of Syria’s brutal civil war, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said Thursday.

“This past decade has seen a blatant disregard for the protection of civilians by all parties, who have committed countless violations and abuses, some of which may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity,” Bachelet said.

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