The Syrian Network for Human Rights released on Sunday a detailed report documenting the human rights situation in Syria and outlining the most notable human rights violations in 2019, particularly in December, at the hands of the warring parties.
The 38-page report outlines the record of the most notable violations SNHR documented in 2019, particularly in December, at the hands of the perpetrator parties to the conflict in Syria, including the civilian death toll of victims who were killed by the parties to the conflict, as well as the record of cases of arrests and enforced disappearance. The report also highlights indiscriminate attacks and the use of outlawed weapons (cluster munitions, chemical weapons, barrel bombs, incendiary weapons) and incidents of attack on civilian objects.
The report draws upon the ongoing daily monitoring of news and developments, and on an extensive network of relations with various sources, in addition to analyzing a large number of photographs and videos.
SNHR has documented the deaths of 3,364 civilians in 2019, including 842 children and 486 women (adult female), the largest percent of whom were killed by Syrian-Russian alliance forces; among the victims were 26 medical personnel, 13 media workers and 17 Civil Defense personnel. The report also documents the deaths of 305 individuals due to torture, and at least 109 massacres. The report further reveals that December saw the deaths of 234 civilians, including 65 children and 44 women (adult female); among the victims were three Civil Defense personnel. The report also documents the deaths of 17 individuals in December due to torture, and at least 14 massacres.
The report reveals that SNHR documented at least 4,671 cases of arbitrary arrests in 2019, including 224 children and 205 women (adult female), at the hands of the main perpetrator parties to the conflict in Syria. The largest number of arrests was carried out by Syrian Regime forces in Damascus Suburbs, followed by Daraa then Deir Ez-Zour governorate. The report reveals that at least 178 arbitrary arrests, including one child and eight women (adult female), were carried out at the hands of the perpetrator parties to the conflict in Syria in December 2019. The largest number of arrests was carried out by Syrian Regime forces in Damascus Suburbs then Aleppo governorate.
As the report states, 2019 saw at least 871 incidents of attacks on vital civilian facilities, 725 of which were carried out at the hands of Syria-Russian alliance forces in northwest Syria. Among these attacks, 215 were on schools, 98 were on medical facilities and 197 others were on places of worship.
As the report notes, the SNHR team in December documented at least 110 incidents of attacks on vital civilian facilities, 105 of which were carried out at the hands of Syria-Russian alliance forces, mostly in Idlib governorate. The report adds that among these attacks, 30 were on schools, four on medical facilities and 29 on places of worship.
The report also reveals that Syrian-Russian alliance forces carried out at least 56 cluster munition attacks in 2019, all of which were concentrated in the Idlib and Hama governorates. The Syrian regime was responsible for carrying out 52 of these attacks, which resulted in the deaths of 64 civilians, including 22 children and 14 women (adult female), and injured 132 others. Among these attacks was one in December in Idlib governorate which was carried out at the hands of Syrian Regime forces and resulted in two civilians sustaining injuries, while Russian forces carried out four cluster munition attacks in 2019, distributed in Hama and Idlib governorates, which injured four individuals.
The report also documents at least 22 incendiary weapons attacks in 2019, all of which were carried out by Syrian Regime targeting populated areas away from frontlines.
As the report reveals, Syrian Regime forces carried out one chemical weapon attack in 2019, on al Kbaina village in the suburbs of Latakia governorate. This attack resulted in the injury of four of Hay’at Tahrir al Sham’s fighters.
The report adds that at least seven attacks using nail-filled missiles were documented in 2019, all of which were carried out by Syrian Regime forces in Idlib governorate.
The report further adds that the SNHR documented at least 4,378 barrel bombs being dropped in 2019 by the Syrian Regime’s air force, including helicopters and fixed-wing warplanes, on the fourth de-escalation zone, which resulted in the deaths of 105 civilians, including 26 children and 26 women, with at least 93 of these attacks being perpetrated against civilian vital facilities. The report notes that of these barrel bombs, 453 were documented as being dropped in December, which resulted in the deaths of 15 civilians, including seven children and three women, all in Idlib governorate, in addition to at least 28 attacks on vital civilian facilities during the same period.
The report reveals that the evidence gathered by SNHR indicates that attacks were directed against civilians and civilian objects. Syrian-Russian alliance forces committed various crimes such as extrajudicial killings, arrest, torture, and enforced disappearance. In addition, the indiscriminate attacks they carried out caused the destruction of various facilities and other buildings. There are reasonable grounds to believe that the war crime of attacking civilians has been committed in many cases.
The report stresses that the Syrian regime has violated international humanitarian law, customary law, and a number of UN Security Council resolutions, particularly resolution 2139, resolution 2042 on the release of detainees, and resolution 2254, all without any accountability.
The eight-year-old war has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands and forced 13 million people from their homes, half of whom have left their shattered homeland.
(SNHR)
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