Syrian Fact-Finding Committee on Coastal Violence: No One is Above the Law
The Syrian fact-finding committee investigating a series of sectarian killings on Tuesday evening has emphasized that no one is above the law. The committee announced it will request the Public Prosecution to arrest any perpetrators of these crimes and bring them to justice.
Pressure has mounted on the new Syrian government to investigate following reports from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights about the deaths of hundreds of civilians in villages predominantly inhabited by the Alawite community, to which former President Bashar al-Assad belongs.
Yasser al-Farhan, the committee’s spokesperson, stated during a televised press conference, “No one is
above the law. The committee will submit all its findings to the issuing authority in the Presidency of the
Republic and to the judiciary.”
He added, “Witnesses will be heard directly, and anyone the committee believes to be involved will be
referred to the judiciary.”
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights reported on Tuesday that entire families
were killed in the Syrian coastal region in acts of sectarian violence between rival factions.
