On August 25, the Syrian British Consortium (SBC), a lobby group established by Syrians in the UK, published “the first investigation documenting the details of the Daraya massacre”, ten years after the events, writes the Syrian opposition site Enab Baladi.
In August 2012, the city of Daraya, located in the southwestern suburbs of Damascus, was one of the main centers of the uprising against the power in place around the capital. To subdue him, Bashar Al-Assad’s regime will be unleashed.
After several days of bombing “without discernment” against civilians, which began on August 20, forces loyal to the regime entered Daraya on August 24, “carry out numerous massacres and mass executions” and arrest dozens of people after the withdrawal of the Free Syrian Army, recalls Enab Baladi. In a few days, more than 700 people were killed.
“Systematic massacre”
Result of more than two years of investigation and numerous testimonies of survivors and people who were present on the spot at the time of the facts, this investigation has an important legal value, explains the Syrian opposition site.
According to the head of the SBC, Haïtham Al-Hamoui, this investigation provides evidence on the “mechanisms of this systematic massacre which mainly targeted civilians”as well as “indices importants” regarding the parties involved.
Indeed, the report indicts not only the fearsome fourth division of the Syrian army, led by Maher Al-Assad, the Syrian president’s brother, “close to Iran” ; the Republican Guard and the Air Force intelligence services; but also chabbihagroups of armed civilians acting for the Assad regime, “with the support of Hezbollah [libanais] and Iranian militias”.
The SBC will hand over the findings of this investigation to the UN body called the Impartial and Independent International Mechanism for Syria (IIM), responsible for facilitating investigations into the most serious violations of international law committed in Syria since March 2011, the date of the beginning of the uprising against Bashar El-Assad’s regime, and to help judge those responsible.
The Syrian conflict has claimed more than half a million lives and caused the displacement and exile of half the population.