Thread by @Syria_Irl

Thank you @BarryAndrewsMEP & colleagues in the European Parliament for your prodigious work in putting forward this
Resolution on the Syrian conflict – 10 years after the uprising
(2021/2576(RSP))
#10YearsofBloodandTyranny
#JusticeandHopeforSyria
#SyriaRoseforFreedom🌹

Proposed Resolution

The European Parliament

1. Conveys its support for the democratic aspirations of the Syrian people who, 10 years ago on 15 March 2011, peacefully demonstrated for democratic reforms in Deraa, Damascus and the rest of the country;

Pays tribute to the 500 000 victims of repression & conflict in Syria since beginning of the popular uprising

believes that the future of Syria should rest in hands of Syrians

conveys support to the unity, sovereignty & territorial integrity of the Syrian state & its people

2
Expresses its deep concern over the persistent political deadlock

shares UN Special Envoy’s concerns over lack of any progress

Reaffirms sustainable solution to Syrian conflict cannot be achieved militarily

is concerned by economic collapse & disastrous humanitarian crisis

3.
Expresses support to UNSC Resolution 2254 establishing Syrian-led constitutional reform process

deeply regrets Syrian regime’s lack of engagement despite repeated engagement & readiness of Syrian opposition reps to negotiate with regime in drafting new Syrian constitution

Emphasises need for establishment of UN-led ceasefire monitoring, verification & reporting mechanism

4. Opposes any normalisation of diplomatic relations with Syrian regime as long as there is no clear, sustained & credible engagement in inclusive political process

@EuropeanParl
Considers upcoming 2021 Syrian Presidential elections to be lacking any form of credibility in the eyes of the international community

Firmly condemns the visits of MEPs to the Syrian regime & stresses that those MEPs do not represent the European Parliament

5.
Regrets that some players further divided a fragmented Syrian opposition, obstructing Geneva Process

6. Strongly condemns all atrocities & violations of human rights & international humanitarian law, in particular by Assad Regime, but also by Russian Iranian & Turkish actors

@EuropeanParl
Calls on Russia, Iran & Hezbollah to withdraw all forces & proxies under their command

Deplores the role of Russia & Iran in backing the Syrian regime’s all-out repression of its civilian population & their takeover of Syria’s political process & economic resources

7.
Calls on Turkey to withdraw its troops from N Syria which it is illegally occupying outside of any UN mandate

Condemns Turkey’s illegal transfers of Kurdish Syrians from N Syria to Turkey for detention & prosecution in violation of Turkey’s obligations undr Geneva Conventions

@EuropeanParl
Urges that all Syrian detainees who have been transferred to Turkey be immediately repatriated to the occupied territories in Syria

Is worried that Turkey’s ongoing displacements could amount to ethnic cleansing against the Syrian Kurdish population

8.
Firmly believes in Syria’s religious & ethnic diversity

Deplores Syrian regime’s long-standing discrimination against Kurdish Syrians

Condemns Syrian regime’s targeted attacks against critical voices, such as Sakharov Prize winner Ali Ferzat for criticism of President Assad

Condemns Syrian regime attacks against 124 Christian churches, documented by the Syrian Network for Human Rights

Firmly condemns assassinations of religious minorities by ISIL/Daesh, particularly its crimes of genocide against Yazidis & people of Shiite Muslim & Christian faiths

@EuropeanParl
Deeply deplores the persecution of minorities under armed opposition groups

9. Reminds the international community of the gravity & the magnitude of human rights violations in Syria perpetrated by different parties to the conflict

Points to Syrian regime’s overwhelming responsibility for its decision to meet peaceful protests with all-out repression through unspeakable means

recalls importance of Caesar report & photos of 11,000 identified prisoners who were starved & tortured to death in detention

@EuropeanParl
Urges EU & Member States to support UN Commission of Inquiry’s recommendation of March 2021 to facilitate creation of an independent mechanism with an international mandate & a victim-led approach to locate missing or their remains, including those in mass graves

10. Firmly condemns the killing of 550 international and Syrian journalists by the Syrian regime and dozens by ISIL/Daesh and other armed groups

Calls on the Syrian regime to immediately release from prison the 400 journalists it is holding in detention, according to the SNHR

11.
Condemns in the strongest terms the use of rape as a weapon of war against women, whether by Syrian regime and its militias as documented by the UN International Independent Committee, or by ISIL/Daesh on Yazidi & Shiite women

Recalls role played by women in 2011 uprising & fundamental importance of including women at all levels of Syria’s political, economic, judicial power structures, including transitional justice

Reiterates importance of including women& young people in conflict resolution process

12.
Reiterates its strongest condemnation of Russian airstrikes which have killed a total of over 6 900 civilians including 2 000 children using cluster munitions, vacuum bombs & long range missiles, targeting independent media centres, hospitals, humanitarian infrastructure.....

....including over 207 medical facilities, & Syrian civil defence units eg members of White Helmets humanitarian organisation

Denounces Russia’s attempts to tarnish image of the White Helmets in Western media through an aggressive & sustained disinformation campaign

Condemns in the strongest terms the involvement of Russian warplanes in the Syrian regime’s chemical attacks, such as in the chemical massacre of Khan Sheikhoun of April 2017, after which Russian warplanes immediately bombed the only hospital where the victims were being treated

13.
Urges Syrian regime to immediately release the 130 000 political prisoners unjustly detained, including women, men & children forcibly disappeared by Syrian security forces

Firmly condemns the systematic use of torture, inhuman treatments & sexual violence in the horrendous conditions in which they are being held, without any access to a civilian court, a lawyer, medical care or their families

Detainees are being denied their basic rights to a fair trial, including withholding of information on their arrest & torture to extract bogus confessions

Urges Syrian authorities provide immediate & unhindered access to detention facilities for international humanitarian NGOs

14.
Stresses that ISIL/Daesh is still active in the region & has not been defeated

Expresses its concerns about the difficulties encountered in preserving & obtaining access to evidence of crimes perpetrated by ISIL/Daesh and uncovering the fate of those kidnapped

Calls on the EU and its Member States to support efforts on the ground to document & preserve evidence of those crimes

Welcomes the prosecution of EU and non-EU nationals who have joined ISIL/Daesh;

15.
Expresses its concern over resurgence of ISIL in NE Syria

Commends efforts of international coalition against ISIL

Stresses importance of continued, long-term US engagement in the coalition

Reaffirms its support for the efforts of the Global Coalition against ISIL

@EuropeanParl
Underlines significant contribution made by the Syrian Democratic Forces as an ally in the fight against ISIL

16. Expresses its concern about the rising tensions in Iraqi Kurdistan, which has provided a safe haven to Syrian refugees;

17.
Persons responsible for international crimes must be prosecuted, incl by EU States, in absence of other processes of transitional justice

Importance of resolving issue of those detained & disappeared as fundamental part of any transitional process with aim of achieving peace

18.
International Criminal Court shd remain primary jurisdiction for international justice for crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes & crimes of aggression

Lack of accountability provides breeding ground for further atrocities & compounds suffering of victims;

Insists on need to hold all perpetrators to account, notably through application of the principle of universal jurisdiction & to provide reparation to victims

Introduction of restorative justice measures cannot wait until the end of the conflict

Urges EU & Member States to step up their support for processes led by representative groups of Syrians

Firmly condemns Russia’s 16 UNSC vetoes, with the support of China, to referring Syria to the ICC

19. Welcomes first ever sentencing of a Syrian regime security officer for complicity in crimes against humanity on 24 Feb 2021 in Germany

20
Commends EU Member States efforts to secure support for long-term funding for UN International, Impartial & Independent Mechanism to Assist in Investigation & Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Most Serious Crimes under International Law Committed in Syria since March 2011

21. Welcomes the Franco-German Joint Investigative Team (JIT) to support the prosecution of the crimes against humanity documented by the Caesar report

Welcomes the international arrest warrants issued by both countries in 2018 to arrest three high-ranking security officials

Commends role played by Syrian NGOs in verifying, documenting, gathering & protecting evidence of crimes against humanity & war crimes & in assisting European law enforcement & judicial authorities in effectively prosecuting war criminals present on EU Member States

EU to provide more legal training to Syrians to enable them to play a role in the fight against impunity

22.
Commission to present an EU action plan on impunity, with a specific chapter on Syria

Transitional justice plays a fundamental role in securing peace in the long term

EU to launch a designated European fund for victims of crimes against humanity in Syria;

23.
Supports Member States’ efforts to improve coordination of judicial, police & immigration resources in order to mutualise their judicial competences and facilitate prosecution

Better-equipped Member States should share their experts and interpreters in order to facilitate efficient and effective investigations

Each Member State should endeavour to appoint a designated prosecutor for these crimes in order to speed up judicial coordination efforts

24.
Member States to automatically share at EU level information on war criminal suspects under Article 1F of the Geneva Convention

Closer cooperation between immigration authorities and public prosecutors on suspected war criminals at national level

25.
All EU Member States without exception to be fully cooperative in the fight against impunity

Deep concern over certain Member States’ lack of cooperation in prosecuting Syrian war criminals;

26.
Fully supports European efforts led by the Netherlands since September 2020 to launch legal proceedings against Syria at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its violation of the UN Convention against Torture;

27.
Calls on Member States to request suspension of Syria’s membership to the OPCW for falsifying evidence of use of chemical weapons at the upcoming spring 2021 OPCW conference

Reiterates its shock at & condemnation of Syrian regime’s 336 documented chemical attacks dropping chlorine gas, sarin & sulphur mustard gas on civilians

28. Firmly condemns attacks on humanitarian workers by all sides, especially by the Syrian regime and ISIL/Daesh

Syrian regime bears particular responsibility for targeted killings of humanitarian workers since 2011

Highlights Russia’s overwhelming responsibility for attacks on humanitarian workers, particularly for its bombing of 21 Médecins Sans Frontières field hospitals in October 2015

29.
Profound concern at ongoing suffering of the Syrian people 10 years after the conflict began

Humanitarian needs in Syria have risen by a fifth in the last year alone

An additional 4.5 million Syrians now suffer from food insecurity, while 90 % live below the poverty line

Humanitarian access must remain a central priority for the EU in Syria

Increased needs require a greater financial & political response from the EU

UNSC Resolution 2533 on the border crossing at Bab al-Hawa is coming up for renewal in July 2021

Cross-line delivery of humanitarian assistance cannot deliver for people currently relying on cross-border delivery

2.4 million Syrians depend on this border crossing for survival

Failure to extend this crossing would have severe life threatening consequences

Condemns actions of those UNSC members that have sought to limit humanitarian access for political purposes

Urges all UNSC members to support the renewal of the cross-border resolution in order to avoid a worsening humanitarian crisis

Highlights importance of ensuring immediate reauthorisation of the Bab al-Salam and Yarubiyah border crossing points in line with UN General Assembly Resolution 74/169, in order to ensure that aid reaches populations in need in both NW & NE by the most direct routes

Underlines the importance of ensuring that humanitarian aid is exclusively directed to those most in need;

30. Calls on the international community to urgently address the record levels of humanitarian need of the Syrian people inside and outside Syria

Encourages EU to rally other international donors towards increasing support for the health sector of the Syria Humanitarian Response Plan through increased, flexible, multi-year funding that covers population needs in the long term

Calls on international donors to specifically invest in programmes that repair, restore and strengthen damaged or destroyed health facilities, in addition to other civilian infrastructures that have suffered damage;

31.
Urges UNSC to include explicit calls for protection of health workers in forthcoming UN resolutions & discussions

Calls on EU Members to offer political backing & operational support to UN-led accountability initiatives & investigations to uphold internationl humanitarin law

32.
Importance of not only maintaining humanitarian assistance pledges but increasing them for Syrians, IDPs and refugees, as well as for communities affected by the crisis in the region

EU & Member States have been the largest humanitarian donors to Syria’s humanitarian crisis

Deeply concerned abt alleged UK Govt plans to cut aid contributions significantly, incl reductions of 67 % for Syria & 88 % for Lebanon;

33. Commends the role played by neighbouring states that offer solidarity and assistance to Syria’s refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq

EU Member States to continue to fund humanitarian assistance programmes in refugee host countries, & for IDPs in Syria

EU Member States to provide necessary funding & support to ensure all Syrian refugee children in host countries have access to primary & secondary education

All host countries to adopt all necessary measures to achieve access to education & remove any administrative or legislative obstacles

Host countries to focus on access to employment, health services, education & civic documentation,

34
EU’s Madad Trust Fund in Response to Syrian crisis will expire by end 2021

Commission to secure finance for EU’s humanitarian response to Syrian crisis under Neighbourhood, Development & International Cooperation Instrument & to ensure unhindered functioning of its projects

35
All Member States to support principled humanitarian assistance without normalising relations with Syrian regime

Warns against investing EU financial assets directly or indirectly in Syria’s general reconstruction if Syrian regime does not implement credible political process

VP/HR as part of long-term planning for response in Syria to develop robust human rights due diligence policy for future rebuilding interventions in close cooperation with Syrian civil society, including a monitoring framework with dedicated indicators for human rights standards

Deplores Russian, Iranian, Chinese and Turkish business plans to profit from Syria’s destruction

36.
Calls on Member States to maintain sanctions on individuals & entities involved in repression in Syria

Stresses importance of avoiding any unintended negative consequences of sanctions through humanitarian exemptions for principled humanitarian action, and the importance of addressing banking over-compliance challenges jointly with the US

37. Urges the EU and its Member States to renew and expand the list of those subjected to targeted sanctions under the new EU Global Human Rights Sanction Regime, including the Syrian, Russian and Iranian civilian and military commanders who are credibly implicated in war crimes

38.
Commits to the adoption of effective EU corporate due diligence legislation imposing human rights due diligence obligations to EU companies & companies operating in the single market

39. Reminds all Member States that Syria is not a safe country to return to

Any return shd be safe, voluntary, dignified & informed, in line with EU’s stated position

EU Members to refrain from shifting national policies towards depriving certain categories of Syrians of their protected status & to reverse this trend if already applied such policies

Urges Lebanon, Turkey & all countries in the region to suspend deportations of Syrians back to Syria against their will

40.
Condemns irreparable damage that Assad’s scorched earth tactics have inflicted on cultural sites & looting and smuggling of artefacts by jihadists

41.
Extremely concerned by deteriorating humanitarian, sanitary & security situation at camps in NE Syria, notably Al-Hol & Roj which remain breeding grounds for radicalisation

EU nationals suspected of belonging to terrorist orgs & detained in camps shd be tried in court of law

42
Member States to protect child nationals detained for security-related offences or association with armed groups
43
To facilitate child’s return to country of origin for rehabilitation, reintegration &/or prosecution, as appropriate, in full compliance with international law

44.
Instructs President to forward this resolution to the Council, Commission, European External Action Service, Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs & Security Policy, the governments and parliaments of the Member States....

...., the Government and the Council of Representatives of Iraq, the Regional Government of Kurdistan and the Government and Parliament of the Russian Federation.