International Criminal Court (ICC) Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan made an unannounced visit to Damascus on Friday to meet with Syria’s interim leadership. This trip aimed to discuss the issue of accountability for crimes committed during the devastating civil war.
Khan’s office later announced that the trip was made at the invitation of the Syrian interim government.
During this trip, Khan met with Ahmad al-Sharaa, the leader of the new administration and formerly known as Mohammad al-Golani, and the foreign minister. The talks focused on exploring ways to do justice in The Hague for the victims of the conflict, which has claimed more than half a million lives and left more than six million people.
Al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaida terrorist who now heads Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), led the attack that overthrew Bashar Assad last month. Assad, who fled to Russia in December, has been accused of running a repressive government responsible for mass disappearances, torture, and killings during his decade-long rule.
Rights groups estimate that 150,000 people disappeared from Assad’s prisons after the start of anti-government protests in 2011, many by execution or harsh prison conditions. Additionally, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said that many chemical attacks on civilians were caused by Assad’s forces. The different groups involved in the conflict have also faced allegations of human rights violations.
ICC involvement remains difficult, as Syria is not a member of the court. Previous attempts to grant the ICC powers through the delegation of the United Nations Security Council were blocked by Russia and China in 2014.
Khan’s visit follows the efforts of the International, Imaged and Independent Mechanism for Syria, a UN organization that helps preserve evidence and prosecute people for possible war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. The head of this group, Robert Petit, has expressed the urgency of protecting the evidence before it is lost.
(With input from AP)
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