Joint press release
Authorities must stop further killings of civilians and
respect the right of families to know the fate of their relatives
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the
Damascus Center for Human Rights (DCHRS)
have been informed by cross-checked sources that a mass grave containing the
remains of at least 13 bodies was uncovered on May 16 morning near Daraa in area
called Talit Mohammed Assarie.
According to witnesses, the mass grave contains the remains
of 13 people including women and children, 8 of them have been identified and
are members of the Abazied and al-Mahmaed families. Abdulrazaq Abdulaziz Abazied ( Abu Samer )
and his four sons as well as three persons from the al-Mahmaed family
lived together in a house, which was targeted by the army during the attack on
Daraa at the beginning of May, according to nearby residents.
It is not clear when those people died, but Daraa residents
say dozens of civilians were killed during the military assault on the city’s
old quarter.
Authorities cordoned off the area on the outskirts of Daraa
soon after the bodies were found by villagers digging in farmland. The villagers
have been prevented from identifying the bodies. The security forces which took
control over the area also allegedly confiscated their mobile phones.
FIDH and DCHRS stress that on April 24, tank-backed Syrian
Security forces took siege over the city of Daraa for more than ten days,
preventing residents from leaving their homes and resulting in very difficult
humanitarian conditions. Security forces cut electricity, landlines, and mobile
coverage before undertaking its attack on the city; furthermore, they took out
water reservoirs on the tops of building by firing live bullets at them. Lack
of food, water, and children’s milk remain serious concerns for residents in
Daraa.
Already during the siege of Daraa, an eyewitness had told
DCHRS that army and security officers were preventing residents from leaving
their homes or even from removing dead bodies from the streets. “Dead bodies
remain in the streets for more than 24 hours and then disappear.”, as recalled
by our organisation in a statement dated May 4, 2011
(http://www.fidh.org/Daraa-Ten-days-of-massacres).
FIDH and DCHRS condemn the ongoing harsh repression by the
Syrian authorities against civilians. Our organisations urge the Syrian
authorities to stop further killings of civilians; to uncover mass graves and
respect the right of families to know the fate of their relatives including by
restituting the bodies. International crimes – that fall under the jurisdiction
of the International Criminal Court (ICC) – are being perpetrated by the Syrian
authorities. FIDH and DCHRS then reiterate their call to the international
community to act immediately in order to urge the Syrian authorities to put an
end to these crimes against civilians.
Press contacts:
Arthur Manet: +33 1 43 55 90 19 / +33 6 72 28 42 94
Karine Appy: +33 1 43 55 14 12/+33 6 48 05 91 57