News item | 12-06-2023 | 3:00 PM
Together with Canada, the Netherlands is going to the International Court of Justice to start a lawsuit against Syria for torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment of its own population. This is the next step in the liability claim process that started in September 2020.
The Netherlands and Canada have long been campaigning for justice for the many victims of the Syrian regime and for holding the perpetrators to account. Minister Hoekstra: “Syrian civilians have been tortured, murdered, disappeared, attacked with poison gas or lost everything when they fled for their lives. This has been reported extensively by international organizations for years.
These terrible acts must not be without consequences. Combating impunity is also important in order to arrive at a sustainable political solution to the conflict in Syria. By bringing this case to the International Court of Justice, we are taking an important step towards that.”
The government states that there is ample evidence that shows that Syria has committed gross human rights violations against Syrian citizens on a large scale, including by the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism, the UN evidence base for Syria. That is why the Netherlands held Syria liable in September 2020, Canada joined in March 2021.
The Netherlands and Canada have been trying for more than two years to reach a settlement with Syria through negotiations, in accordance with the dispute settlement mechanism included in the UN Anti-Torture Convention. These negotiations did not lead to a solution. Syria also did not agree to the proposal for the organization of arbitration within the six-month period that applies under the treaty. That is why the step was taken to the International Court of Justice on 8 June 2023, requiring Syria to fulfill its obligations under the UN Anti-Torture Convention to which the country is also a party.
Syria has been informed of this decision by the Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva by diplomatic note. The Netherlands and Syria have not maintained diplomatic relations since 2011, but are both represented at the UN in Geneva.