Anyone who saw the heartbreaking videos and images of the Tadamon massacre and the fate of its victims was deeply moved and recognized that this was a humanitarian issue, transcending any ethnic or religious affiliation. However, as with every rule, there are exceptions. Some view these videos and images as a source of income or a tool for political blackmail.
These individuals are stripping the issue of its humanitarian nature and its role as evidence to prove the crimes attributed to those involved. At the same time, it serves as a basis for investigation to track down the perpetrators and those complicit in this tragedy that has befallen the Syrian people.
I will remind the journalist, Khawaja, that he has a legal obligation under European law to hand over these images, files, and videos to the Syrian government. If he believes that his European citizenship exempts him from this obligation, then I must tell him he is mistaken.
I would tell him that European Directive 943/2016, which has become law in all EU member states, explicitly states in Article 5 that legal entities, whether natural or legal persons, are exempt from the obligation of confidentiality when publishing confidential information to expose wrongdoing or a crime in the public interest.
This article previously stipulated that access to the truth is paramount and takes precedence over all other considerations. The right to prove and access the truth, particularly the right to present evidence and expose a crime, is a legal obligation incumbent upon anyone possessing such information, and failure to do so is punishable by law.
Moreover, universal jurisdiction in European countries extends to crimes against humanity committed in Syria, which are not subject to any statute of limitations.
Syrian law contains similar legal provisions.
Furthermore, the failure to hand over videos and images of atrocities to the competent authorities constitutes the crime of concealing a crime and is punishable by law.
In conclusion: Anyone who uses videos and footage of our people's tragedies as a source of profit or political blackmail should reconsider their actions and hand these documents over to the Syrian government. Sooner or later, lawsuits will be filed against you in Syria and Europe for crimes no less heinous and despicable than those who kill and torture a soul whose killing God has forbidden except by right.
Omar Al-Youssef
Zaman Al Wasl
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