American Senators: Sufficient Evidence Exists to Charge Assad with War Crimes

On Thursday, March 5, American senators from both the Democratic and Republican parties called for appropriate action from Secretary of State Rex Tillerson regarding the "systematic slaughter" of Syrian prisoners by Bashar al-Assad's government. Bob Corker, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, along with several other senators, condemned the actions of the Syrian government, which Amnesty International referenced in its recent report. Amnesty International stated that nearly 13,000 opponents of Bashar al-Assad were executed in Sednaya prison between 2011 and 2015. The organization also reported that many more died due to torture and starvation, with their bodies buried in two mass graves around Damascus. In their letter to the U.S. Secretary of State, the senators wrote that given the compelling, clear, and credible reports of Bashar al-Assad's actions, including the use of chemical weapons, barrel bombs against civilians, and resorting to torture and starvation of civilians, there is sufficient evidence to charge Bashar al-Assad with war crimes and crimes against humanity. The senators asked Rex Tillerson how the U.S. is collecting this evidence and how it will be utilized in future negotiations. They also called for holding Russia accountable for its support of Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian government has dismissed Amnesty International's report as fake. In this context, Lavrov stated that the creation of safe zones in Syria is open for discussion, in coordination with Assad's government. Peace talks in Syria resumed in Geneva after a 10-month hiatus, with de Mistura expressing that he does not expect quick success in the new round of negotiations.