By Adom M. Cooper
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

DAMASCUS, Syria–In the northwest province of Idlib, several gunmen opened fire on a car carrying a senior Syrian state prosecutor and a judge, killing both of them and the driver. State news agency SANA reported that Idlib provincial state prosecutor Nidal Ghazal and Judge Mohammed Ziadeh were killed instantly in the attack. The deaths of these two Syrian officials are merely the latest casualties claimed by the perpetual chaos occurring in the country.

Earlier in the day, SANA reported that gunmen took the life of Jamal al-Bish, a member of the city council of the nearby northern city of Aleppo, which happens to be Syria’s largest. SANA stated that al-Bish was killed outside the city, a center of support for al-Assad that has been relatively quiet since the uprising began.

Syrian activists called for a “day of defiance” in Damascus on Sunday 19 February 2012 after security forces shot and killed a mourner at a funeral that turned into one of the largest anti-regime protests ever conducted in the capital. In a message to Damascus residents on their “Syrian Revolution 2001” FaceBook page, activists said: “The blood of martyrs exhorts you to disobedience,” after approximately 6,000 people have lost their lives since the demonstrations and protests began against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad erupted in March 2011. Deeb Al-Dimashqi, a member of the Syrian Revolution Council based in the capital, claimed that Syrian forces clamped tight security around the city. He shared these words with the AFP.

“We expect huge demonstrations. There is a large security presence.”

A large security presence was seen all throughout Syria. According to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, security forces shot dead a woman when they stormed the town of Sukhna in the Homs province in an attempt to track down wanted activists. It also reported that a man was shot dead at a checkpoint in the northern province of Aleppo.

Opposition activists also reported that police and armed patrols fanned out in the Syrian capital’s Mezze district to prevent a repeat of protests against al-Assad that have threatened his grip on Damascus. On Sunday 19 February 2012, the body of young protester Samer al-Khatib was buried in Mezze early in the morning. Security forces maintained a heavy presence to try and prevent the funeral from turning into an anti-Assad demonstration, according to opposition activists contacted by Reuters.

Fifteen pick-up trucks carrying security police and armed pro-Assad armed men, known as “shabbiha,” surrounded the funeral as the funeral was quietly conducted. Police cars and militia jeeps patrolled Mezze while secret police agents spread out on foot, stopping civilians at random and checking their identification cards. Activist Moaz al-Shami shared these words with Al-Jazeera about the situation in Mezze.

“Walking in Mezze now carries the risk of arrest. The area is quiet and even the popular food shops in Sheikh Saad are empty.”

In addition to the crackdown on potential demonstrations and protests, opposition activists have offered more disturbing information: at least 295 doctors have been arrested. The activists are calling it a “fierce” campaign to shut down the work of physicians. In many situations, doctors have been overwhelmed with trying to treat the wounded and save lives without the proper medical supplies or equipment. The majority of them work in makeshift trauma clinics covertly, for fear of being shot.

A faction of Syrian doctors were in the United States this week to urge action that will allow critical medical attention to reach those in need of it. They claim that the regime’s interference amounts to a violation of the Geneva Conventions that is meant to protect victims of armed conflict. Dr. Monzer Yazji shared these words with reporters at the National Press Club in Washington.

“We lost last week two people carrying medicine. They killed them. Just carrying medicine inside.”

On the international community front, China has emerged as a leading play in the efforts to end the bloodshed in Syria and is one of al-Assad’s main backers. The Xinhua commentary shared these words with Al-Jazeera.

“China believes, as many others do, there is still hope that Syria crisis can be resolved through peaceful dialogue between the opposition and the government, contrary to some Western countries’ argument that time is running out for talks in Syria.”

Meanwhile, the West has ruled out any type of military intervention in Syria like what happened with Libya. British Foreign Minister William Hague supported this view with BBC on Sunday 19 February 2012.

“We cannot intervene in the way we did in Libya, we will do many other things. I am worried that Syria is going to slide into a civil war and that our powers to do something about it are very constrained because, as everyone has seen, we have not been able to pass a resolution at the UN Security Council because of Russian and Chinese opposition.”

Syria’s main opposition groups have rejected a newly drafted constitution that could end nearly five decades of single-party rule, and have urged voters to boycott a 26 February referendum on the charter. The opposition feels that until the requisite attention is given to its activists and civilians, there will not be a consensus. With doctors being targeted for trying to help wounded demonstrators and protesters, it seems that the chaos will continue until the proper attention is directed in the proper direction.

 

For more information, please see:

Ahram – Syrian Activists Call Mass Protests In Damascus – 19 February 2012

Al-Jazeera – Syrian Officials Killed as Protests Continue – 19 February 2012

CNN – Homs a ‘Bleeding Wound’ As Medical Aid Dire – 19 February 2012

The Guardian – Syrian Security Forces Increase Pressure on Damascus Protesters – 19 February 2012

NYT – Frustrated Protesters Fill The Streets in Syria’s Capital – 19 February 2012

Reuters – Syrian Security Forces Clamp Down on Damascus – 19 February 2012