Documenting the shelling of Adnan Almalki school in Dier ez-Zoor

Date of incident: 20 October 2013

Prepared by SNHR

The methodology of this report is based on the investigations conducted by SNHR’s team in Dier ez-Zoor governorate, with a number of residents and activists.

It contains the testimonies of witnessing residents documented in the report, in addition to news and pictures from cooperative activists inside the city.

The incident’s details

On Sunday 20 October 2013, 9:30 am, Syrian government’s warplane, without any warning or real justification, shelled the Adnan Almalki school located in Alqusor neighborhood (under the control of government forces).  The school was shelled while students and teachers were inside.

Location map:

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=35.341157,40.128635&num=1&t=h&z=17

Testimony of an eyewitness and survivor known as Abo Faisal:

You can communicate with the witness by Skype account:

Mgro7-mn

” The massacre took place on Sunday 20/10/2013, at 9:30 am ”

The students were in school when the MIG shelled the school during the official school hours, the regime forces know that the school is working officially, there are only students there and noarmed manifestations ”

Alqusor neighborhood under the control of the regime, and the teachers are taking their wages from Minister of education

The warplane strike that targeted  the school directly led to kill four students and a teacher, and injured dozens of students”

Syrian Network for Human Rights’ director Fadel Abdulghani said: ” Syrian government always claims that they are fighting Al-Qaeda, extremists, and terrorism, but does shelling schools, markets and hospitals is for the same reason??!, They are sending message that they will prevent all forms of stability and life in all provinces that rebelled against Al-Assad regime, should mention it is not the first time that government forces shell school and commit systematically crime against humanity in many Syrian governorates”

SNHR’s team could document the killing of at least 4 victims: three children with their female teacher, while activist said that there were other three children couldn’t be recognized, we also document almost 15 injuries most of them were children.”

Shell led to damage great parts of Adnan Almalki school, and some parts of the neighboring Zaki Alarsozi school”

=============================

Name of the massacre victims:

1- Child Ahmad Rafea Alsara, Alqusor – Dier ez-Zoor

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9Bj18tlYYKBZkY1bkxIN0J6YnM/edit?usp=sharing

2- Girl child Ayah Ghassan Alhawas, Alqusor – Dier ez-Zoor

3- Miss Manal Alhaiji, Alqusor – Dier ez-Zoor, teacher

1- Child Husam Ahmad Alrabie, Alqusor – Dier ez-Zoor

=============================

Proofs and attachments:

Video shows the smoke caused by shelling

http://youtu.be/nXLPXZW7tbE

Photo of injured girl:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BXsBk3fIcAAoehj.jpg:large

=====================================

Conclusions:

1. Syrian network for human rights emphasize that the shelling of the school was deliberately aimed at civilian targets, so the Shabieha and Government forces violated international human rights law that protects the right of life.  In addition, it was committed in a non-international armed conflict so it tantamount to war crimes and had all the elements.

2. SNHR considers the shelling of the school in Dier ez-Zoor accompanied by killing  a war crime.  This is not the first time, but it’s almost a daily event in all Syrian govern orates, so it follows a systematic and widespread methodology.

3-  Random attacks committed by the Syrian government are considered violations of customary IHL, because it shells populated areas, not specific military targets.

4- Those attacks, especially the shelling, caused losses in civilians lives, injury , or damaged civilian objects.  There are very strong indications to believe that damage was too excessive when compared with the expected  military benefit.

5.The size and repeated nature of the massacre, the level of excessive force used, in addition to the random nature of the shelling, and coordinating attacks cannot be but only supreme directives of a state policy.

 

============================

 

Recommendations:

 

Syrian Government

1-    Immediately stop all human rights’ violations.

2-    Respect international obligations of protection of civilians in times of war, and respect the rules of international humanitarian law and international human rights law

 

Human Rights Council:

1-    Demand the Security Council and the concerned international institutions to hold their responsibilities of what’s happening for the Syrian People of killing, rape, displacement, and arrest.

2-    Pressure the Syrian Government Troops to stop shelling and killing, and release all the kidnapped and arrested.

3-    Hold allies and supporters of the Syrian Government Troops: Russia, Iran, and China, morally and physically responsible for what’s happening to the Syrian people.

4-    Give this case serious attention and give it a high priority, and try to take care of victims’ families psychologically,  materially, and educationally.

 

==================================

 

Security Council :

1-    Decide to refer all the criminals and the involved to the ICC.

2-    Warn the Syrian Government Troops of the repercussions of using brutal methods on the stability of civil peace and coexistence between the people of the same society.

3-    Insert Syrian National Army, and Shabiha troops loyal to Syrian Government’s.

 

==================================

 

Arab League :

1-    Demand the Human Right’s Council and United Nations to give serious and right attention to stop the daily killing.

2-    Political and diplomatic pressure on the Syrian Government Troops ‘s main allies-Russia, Iran and China -to prevent them from continuously providing cover and international and political protection for all the crimes committed against the Syrian people and hold them morally and physically responsible for all the excess of the Syrian Government Troops.

3-    Serious attention of this case and give it a high priority, and try to take care of victim families psychologically, materially, and educationally.

 

===================================

 

 International Commission of Inquiry :

The International Commission of inquiry must stop describing the conflict in Syria as a conflict between two equal parties in crimes, power and centralized decision,  and give an accurate description of violations without alleviate for political purposes.

The committee must also increase its carders in Syria because of the magnitude of the daily crimes committed to enable requires wider and more comprehensive documentation.

Author: Impunity Watch Archive