Kyiv – Ukraine:
On the tenth anniversary of the chemical weapons massacre in Syria. A meeting was held between Members of the Syrian civil society and high-level officers, including President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Ukrainian keymen in Kyiv.
The delegation led by Sameer Nammour, the President of the Association of Victims of Chemical Weapons, participated in this meeting held on August 25, 2023.
As a part of the accountability call for the ongoing war crimes in Ukraine, which inspired the impunity for the continuous crimes in Syria, the Syrian civil society representatives delegation visited Kyiv to attend a series of official meetings with high-level officers and leaders from the Ukrainian civil society. The visit concluded with participation in the third summit of the Crimea Platform and a discussion with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The delegation conveyed a message expressing solidarity in the fight against impunity in Ukraine and Syria, emphasizing that “the Free Syrian people, which refuses the attitude of the Syrian regime which supports Russia, and stand against the crimes committed in Ukraine and support its people”.
Thaer Hajaze, a human rights defender who survived and documented chemical attacks in Syria, affirmed, “Ten years ago, I was one of the responders to the Syrian regime’s chemical attack in Ghouta supported by Russia, and I worked on documenting the evidence that proved it.
During the visit, the delegation members engaged in several activities, attending the third summit of the Crimea Platform was the most significant. This summit gathered representatives from countries worldwide, including heads of state, to convey messages of solidarity with Ukraine.
The delegation presented two gifts to President Zelensky. The first one symbolized the forced displacement and the use of chemical weapons in Syria, using the colors of the Ukrainian flag. This gift was handcrafted inside Syria by the displaced artist and survivor of chemical weapons, Akram Abu Al-Fawz. The second gift consisted of a helmet worn by a volunteer from the White Helmets who lost his life in Syria. This gesture aimed to honor the sacrifices of Syrian heroes and heroines facing the crimes of the Syrian regime and its Russian ally
The delegation also held an official meeting with the Ukrainian Prosecutor General, Andriy Kostin, and his team, which is responsible for various war crimes files, international cooperation, and victims. Mr. Kostin delivered an official statement emphasizing his solidarity with Syrians, shedding light on the crimes committed against them by the Syrian regime and its Russian ally, including the use of chemical weapons
Furthermore, the delegation met with Tamila Tasheva, the Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea within Ukraine, and Maria Tomak, the head of the Crimea Platform Administration. The meeting reiterated the commitment to solidarity between the two people and called for liberation from dictatorial regimes.
Additionally, there was a meeting with Oleksandra Matviichuk, the head of the Civil Liberties Center, and Nobel Prize laureate for 2022, discussing the role of civil society institutions in achieving justice and accountability in both countries.
Furthermore, the delegation conducted several field visits related to Russian violations, including a visit to the memorial site of the Bucha massacre perpetrated by the Russian army in February 2022, which killed approximately 458 civilians. They met with Father Andrei, the responsible at the Bucha Church, which hosts the memorial statue, and expressed condolences for the massacre victims. Father Andrei expressed gratitude for the visit, emphasizing that Syrians understand much about what Ukrainians are going through today since they have experienced continuous violations. Additionally, they visited Mariupol Hospital, which was moved to Kyiv after being destroyed. The medical staff at this hospital miraculously survived a deliberate attack during the Russian air and ground forces’ assault on Mariupol. As a form of resistance, the hospital was reestablished in Kyiv until its staff could return home.
I am a human rights advocate, displaced along with my three children by the Syrian regime and its Russian allies. This crime, whose consequences I will never forget, was presented by Russia as a humanitarian evacuation, while it was, in reality, one of its military strategies to seize control of my city. I am here to support Ukrainian families in their struggle to achieve justice and live safely in their homes.’’ said Afraa Hashem, an activist with the Syria Campaign and forcibly displaced from East Aleppo.
Another meeting was made with the families of those who forcibly disappeared, as well as with political prisoners abducted and detained by Russia. During the meeting, Both sides showed solidarity, and personal experiences were shared, drawing lessons from both Syria and Ukraine as a foundation for a solidarity campaign demanding justice for all political prisoners worldwide.
Regarding the visit, Raed al-Saleh, the head of the White Helmets organization, stated: ‘Since Russia intervened in Syria to support the Assad regime, it has consistently targeted infrastructure, humanitarian workers, violated the principles of international humanitarian law, applied a policy of collective punishment, destroyed cities, laid siege to them, and pursued a strategy of media deception. It is currently using the same brutal strategies in Ukraine. We need to pursue justice persistently so that no dictator or country feels they have a green light to commit atrocities, violations, and escape accountability.
Furthermore, the delegation conducted several field visits related to Russian violations, including a visit to the memorial site of the Bucha massacre perpetrated by the Russian army in February 2022, which killed approximately 458 civilians. They met with Father Andrei, the responsible at the Bucha Church, which hosts the memorial statue, and expressed condolences for the massacre victims. Father Andrei expressed gratitude for the visit, emphasizing that Syrians understand much about what Ukrainians are going through today since they have experienced continuous violations. Additionally, they visited Mariupol Hospital, which was moved to Kyiv after being destroyed. The medical staff at this hospital miraculously survived a deliberate attack during the Russian air and ground forces’ assault on Mariupol. As a form of resistance, the hospital was reestablished in Kyiv until its staff could return home.