DCHRS documented 2983 victims including 402 children and 212 women during February, 2014

 Casualties Report for February 2014

DCHRS documented a total of 402 children victims at a rate of 13% of the total victims. In addition the number of documented women was 212 victims at a rate of 7%.

DCHRS analyzed that the main cause of death for 1528 victims was indiscriminate shelling and airstrikes targeting the residential areas. Furthermore, the total number of victims who were tortured to death in the prisons and the detentions centers of the Syrian security authorities was 168 victims. The number of victims who were killed by armed groups such as ISIL and other armed groups is 134 and 37 were killed by unknown source of bullets. Moreover, the number of people who were killed due to starvation and the imposed siege is 69 while 3 died from exposure to extreme cold and due to. In addition, the cases of extrajudicial killings and field executions that were perpetrated by regime forces resulted in the death of 51 victims, and Sniping and Indiscriminate Shooting caused in the loss of 15 victims.
The province of Aleppo, which is witnessing a reckless barrels-assault by the regime, recorded highest number of casualties totaling in 1274 where 1085 out of them were civilians. Finally the center documented 11 non-Syrian citizens from other nationalities who were fighting with Syrian Armed oppositions.

DCHRS learned that the Syrian regime forces continue to target civilians and they use direct brutal violence against them. As a result the number of civilians reached 72% of the total number of victims. Also since about 51% of the death cases were caused by shelling, missiles, and airstrikes. DCHRS indicates and stresses that such high number of casualties in correlation to the cruel cause of deaths are obvious evidences that the Syrian regime forces are intentionally targeting civilians, ruthlessly punishing them, and recklessly ignoring any basic right of their existence. Furthermore the results clearly stated the violations of international human rights laws and humanitarian laws even with other causes of deaths such as torture, extrajudicial killings, and other forms of violations that are categorized under war crimes and crimes against humanity.

DCHRS demands protecting civilians according to the laws approved by the U.N in 2005. In addition since DCHRS is a member of the International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect (ICRtoP), DCHRS appeals to the international community to practically enforce the “Responsibility to Protect”. Furthermore DCHRS calls all the international medical and humanitarian organizations to provide support, medical assistance, and relief to ease the suffering of the Syrian people inside Syria and abroad. Finally DCHRS demands to prosecute the perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity and to bring them to justice.

Damascus Center for Human Rights Studies (DCHRS)

3-3-2014.

For more information, please contact

Dr. Radwan Ziadeh, Executive director of the Damascus Center for Human Rights Studies.
Phone (571) 205-3590(571) 205-3590
Email : radwan.ziadeh@gmail.com

Mr. Mojahed Ghadban, Communication Officer.
Telephone (479) 799-8115(479) 799-8115
Email: info@dchrs.org

DCHRS is an independent, non-governmental organization, established in 2005, located in the Syrian capital of Damascus. Its mission is to foster a spirit of support and respect for the values and standards of human rights in Syria. As such, DCHRS recognizes and adheres to all pertinent international human rights agreements and declarations issued by the UN.

DCHRS is a member of the following international networks:

DCHRS worked on a variety of documentation projects. Such projects included daily casualty reports, massacre reports, and other human rights violations reports. Also DCHRS has been working on advocacy and lobbying in different human rights institutions in order to educate and acknowledge about the deteriorating human rights situation in Syria. DCHRS opened local offices in Syria in order to document, collect, and observe human rights violations on the ground. After the launch of the Syrian revolution, the center increased its activities through working, communicating, and coordinating with many members and activists. Thus the center began documenting daily violations committed by the Syrian regime forces that can be classified as crimes against humanities and war crimes. Such violations included: extrajudicial killings, massacres, arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, rape, torture in prisons. DCHRS submitted those reports to many international and regional human rights organizations and communicated with the Report of the independent international commission of inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic on Syria.