SCTJ Statement on al-Bab Massacre, September 18, 2014 in Aleppo

Tens of innocent civilian victims in al-Bab city in Aleppo were killed due to barrel bomb airstrike by Assad regime forces. The strike targeted a queue of civilians waiting in line to buy bread from a bakery. The outcome of the strike resulted in high number of casualties and injuries. Not to mention the damages and the ruins in such condensed neighborhood which were caused by the barrel bomb.

On Thursday 18 September, 2014, at approximately 10:00 AM the Syrian regime carried out an airstrike assault against the heavily populated city of Al-Bab in al-Makateb Street, where a barrel bomb weighing approximately 450 was dropped by Regime warplanes.

The Syrian regime targeted an area in the street where residents and IDPs live. Furthermore, the civilians in that area were standing in line in front of a bakery when the incident took place. The outcome of the massacre resulted in tens of civilian victims; most of whom were children and women. Additionally, the shelling wounded more than 83 civilians and caused great material damages to the buildings and the near local markets.

The targeted area is an absolutely civil area that has no military presence during or before the time of the shelling. Civil defense and Fire fighters teams headed immediately to the targeted area while Ambulance San Frontiers (MSF) organization transferred the wounded and charred dead bodies to field-hospitals. Nevertheless, the fires that broke out in the buildings due to the shelling hindered the medical teams to reach the charred bodies, transfer them, or even recognize them.

While the final death toll is still not confirmed especially with more than 83 injuries, including critical cases, 41 victims were documented at the end of the day, Thursday, September 18, 2014:

1- Abdullah Othman Ar-Ragheb.
2- Samer Haddad.
3- Beshr Shehabi.
4- Mohammad Abdulaziz Al-Ataqi.
5- Mustafa An-Naqou.
6- Ahmad Taqi Assfour.
7- Trad Al-Abd Al-Jawad.
8- Hussein Al-Kousa.
9- Ahmad Mohammad Kalzi.
10- Ahmad Kassar.
11- Hamidi Ad-Dahham.
12- Khawla Haj Omar.
13- Child Mohammad Ali Az-Zou’bi.
14- Abdulmu’ti Ar-Ragheb.
15-16- Two unidentified victims, from “Ar-Ragheb” family.
17- Unidentified 30-something woman victim.
18- Unidentified female child victim.
19- Unidentified victim/
20- Victim called Mansour. His full name wasn’t confirmed.
21- Victim called Faraj, his full name wasn’t confirmed.
22- Mohammad Ali Al-Bzie’i.
23- Walid Abulasal.
24- Unidentified victim, Walid Abulasal’s son.
25- Bassam Abulasal.
26- Mohammad Abulasal.
27- Eidou Al-Ali.
28- Othman Bakri.
29- Osama Ibied.
30- Abdussalam Ar-Ragheb.
31-41- Eleven unidentified victims.

SCTJ strongly condemns the deliberate targeting of civilians and residential areas using various methods of bombing including barrel bombs which are killing more and more children, women, and elderlies in Syria every day. Furthermore, SCTJ affirms that the Syrian regime perpetrated war crimes that are considered serious violations of the international law, which strictly prohibits the targeting of civilians or anyone that is not involved in military operations, shelling, or even attacking cities, villages, condensed neighborhoods, and buildings that are not military targets.

The Syrian regime’s ongoing policy of indiscriminately shelling civil areas and civilians’ gatherings which are not considered military targets reflects a complete and utter disregard of the international humanitarian law and recklessness of the lives of innocent civilians especially women and children.

SCTJ urges U.N. and the Security Council to take all the necessary measures to protect the Syrian civilians and IDPs from the Syrian regime warplanes, which are continuously targeting them and their residential areas. Also, SCTJ affirm the necessity to hold all the individuals responsible for this massacre and any other similar crimes accountable.

Moreover, SCTJ renews its demands to refer all Assad massacres and crimes, which is being perpetrated daily, to the specialized international courts in order to hold the individuals responsible accountable and bring them to justice.

SCTJ Statement on Ar-Raqqa Massacre, September 06, 2014

On Saturday September 06, 2014, Ar-Raqqa city witnessed a horrible massacre in which tens of civilians were killed by the Syrian regime warplanes. The Syrian regime targeted Al-Andalus bakery in Tal Abyad Street where civilians were standing in line to buy for bread. On the same day Ar-Raqqa, which is under the control of ISIS (The Islamic State in Iraq and Sham), was targeted with more than eight airstrikes. Most of these airstrikes killed civilians, not ISIS militants.

At least 49 were killed by the airstrikes that targeted Ar-Raqqa on September 06, 2014 including women and children, the following were documented:

1- Mohammad Taha Al-Hussein Ad-Dakhil, 20 years old.

2- Ahmad Haj Khalaf.

3- Hammadi Hussein Al-Hammadi Al-Ahwal, 22 years old.

4- Zina Hussein Al-Hammadi Al-Ahwal, 18 years old.

5- Adla At-Tahhan.

6- Aisha “Awwasha” Hassan Ash-Shu’ib, 60 years old.

7- Houriya Al-Ahmad Al-Haram.

8- Zina Al-Ahmad, 18 years old.

9- Hussein Al-Amin.

10- Abd As-Suliman As-Saleh.

11- Awwad Al-Khairi.

12- Qusai Al-Mohammad.

13- Abdulkarim Hallaq.

14- Hussein Al-Halalq.

15- Nazih Al-Ashram.

16- Aboud Al-Hawwash.

17- Mohammad Al-Jomaa.

18- Jamal Al-Ibrahim.

19- Saleh Al-Mhimed.

20- Mohammad Hammash.

21- Ammar Al-Ghniem (Al-Assaf).

22- Seham Jasim Al-Ilies.

23- Khalil Khalaf Al-Habib.

24- Mahmoud Al-Mohammad Al-Hamoud Al-Abd, 27 years old.

25- Ali Al-Mohammad Al-Hamoud Al-Abd, 24 years old.

26- Child Ahmad Al-Mohammad Al-Hamoud Al-Abd, 11 years old.

27- Child Ibrahim Al-Mohammad Al-Hamoud Al-Abd, seven years old.

28- Mousa Al-Hamad Al-Karsa.

29- Ahmad Al-Imier.

30- Dham Ibrahim Al-Mousa.

31- Saleh Al-Haj Hassan.

32- Victim called Anwar, his full name not been received.

33- Khalil Khalalf Al-Habib Al-Jarrad.

34- Hassan Al-Ghadier.

35- Fayyad Sweidan Al-Halloun.

36- Unidentified woman victim, Fayyad Sweidan Al-Halloun’s wife.

37- Qusai Al-Ahmad Al-Imier.

38- Unidentified victim, Nazih Al-Ashram’s son.

39-46- Eight unidentified victims, from the same family “Khaled Al-Haj Omar”.

47- Unidentified woman victim.

48-49- Two unidentified victims.

This massacre is another crime of a long string of continuous violations that the Syrian regime has been perpetrating for weeks against civilians in areas controlled by ISIS. Furthermore, the Syrian regime strikes such areas to justify ISIS presence but never targets them directly, but in fact ISIS was the least militant group to be targeted by the Syrian Regime, and that’s can be an evidence that both ISIS and Assad are cooperating to terrorize civilians.

SCTJ urges the international community to take all the necessary measures in order to put an end to the Syrian regime’s policies which resulted in crimes against humanity and war crimes which violate the international humanitarian law. Moreover, the Islamic State, which also has been perpetrating horrific crimes in Ar-Raqqa since its rise, should be held accountable. Also, investigations should be opened regarding all the violations, and the individuals responsible for these massacres, war crimes, and crimes against humanity in Syria and no criminal shall be granted any form of impunity.

Damages and Ruins caused by the airstrike

SCTJ Statement on Deir Ezzor Massacre

On 3 September, 2014, the Syrian regime targeted many areas in the province of Deir Ezzor with heavy aerial bombardment via airstrikes. One of the strikes targeted a bus, which was carrying civilian passengers. The bus was travelling on the Damascus – Deir Ezzor highway and the outcome of the strike caused 10 children and five women to be killed instantly. Out of the fifteen victims, the following were identified:

Aisha Ahmad Az-Zou’bi

Yara Al-Omar

Noura Al-Omar

Ayman Al-Omar

Kauthar Ali Al-Mekhlef

Amina Al-Ali Al-Mekhlef

Saif Ali Al-Mekhlef

Hanaa Ali Al-Mekhlef

Ayham Al-Hassan

Marwa Al-Hamada

Marwan Al-Hamada

The Syrian regime’s continuous use of indiscriminate shelling and aerial weapons had killed tens of thousands of unarmed civilians. Furthermore, the Syrian regime, which uses these weapons against unarmed civilians, violates all international laws by taking advantage of the international community’s inaction of its ongoing crimes against humanity.

This massacre has breached once again the international humanitarian laws, which provides that civilians and civil facilities are to be protected during armed conflicts.

The Syrian Commission for Transitional Justice condemns this massacre as it constitutes a war crime and a crime against humanity. Additionally SCTJ urges the international community to shed light on the Syrian regime’s systematic terrorism against civilians, and to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable. The international community should take appropriate measures to put an end to the Syrian regime’s policy of indiscriminate shelling and targeting of civilians.