Numerous war crimes, even crimes against humanity, have been committed in the province of Idlib, the last insurgent stronghold in north-west Syria, subjected to a regime offensive in late 2019 and early 2020, according to a report published Tuesday July 7 by the UN.
"Children were bombed in school, parents were bombed in the market, patients were bombed in hospital and entire families were bombed while fleeing"said Paulo Pinheiro, chairman of the UN Commission of Inquiry into Syria.
His report covers the period from 1er November 2019 to April 30, 2020 and documents 52 attacks, based on nearly 300 interviews and photographic and video equipment. According to the Pinheiro commission, between these two dates, 17 medical facilities, 14 schools, 9 markets and 12 houses were bombed, in the overwhelming majority of cases by pro-government forces and their Russian ally.
500 dead, a million displaced
The Syrian regime of Bashar Al-Assad, supported by its Russian ally, resumed, in December 2019, its offensive against Idlib, the last bastion in the hands of rebel and jihadist groups, before a precarious truce sponsored by Russia and Turkey comes into force in early March. The offensive has left a million displaced and more than 500 civilian dead, according to the UN.
"In this military campaign, pro-government forces and groups designated by the UN as terrorists have grossly violated the laws of war and the rights of Syrian civilians", according to Mr. Pinheiro, cited in the report.
Some of these "Indiscriminate bombing", notably on Maarat Al-Nouman, in the province of Idlib and in Atarib (west of Aleppo) in December and February, "Could constitute a crime against humanity" according to the report.
Jihadist group implicated
The Pinheiro commission also examines the atrocities of the main jihadist group in the region, Hayat Tahrir Al-Cham (HTS, the former Al-Nosra Front), accused of “Looting, detention, torture and execution of civilians, including journalists”. HTS also "Indiscriminately bombarded densely populated areas, sowing terror among civilians living in government-controlled areas", according to the report.
"The women, men and children we interviewed had the choice of being bombed or fleeing further into areas controlled by HTS where human rights are violated and where humanitarian assistance is very limited", according to investigator Karen Koning AbuZayd.
