On 5th Anniversary of Daryya Massacre: World Has Yet to Bring Perpetrators to Justice

Press Release

Syrian Coalition

Media Department

August 28, 2017

Between 23-26 August 2012, the mercenaries of Bashar al-Assad’s Republican Guard, the Fourth Division, led by Maher al-Assad, the Air Force Intelligence, and the Hezbollah militia committed a series of savage crimes claiming the lives of hundreds of civilians in the town of Daryya southwest of Damascus. Daryya has become the icon of the revolution whose young men and women set a shining example of an orderly, peaceful, civil movement.

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the horrible massacre in which civilians were cold-bloodedly killed in aerial bombardment, summary executions, and slaughtered with knives. At least 700 civilians, including women, children and entire families were killed in a brutal campaign of field executions. Bodies of the victims were piled inside houses, mosques and the streets, while rescuers found more bodies several days after the massacre.

Daryya massacre is a stark example of the criminality of the Assad gang and its willingness to commit the most heinous violations and crimes to crush the revolution. The anniversary falls just a few days after the 4th anniversary of the massacre of the century which took place in the Ghouta Damascus suburb and claimed the lives of more than 1,400 people who were gassed to death by the sarin nerve agent which left hundreds more wounded.

As the years go by, criminals are still at large repeating their crimes right under the watchful eyes of the international community and with the full support and partnership of Iran and Russia.

The memory of this massacre and all other massacres against the Syrian people will continue to bring shame on the entire international community which is yet to assume its responsibilities to stop such crimes and hold those responsible to account.

The Syrian people will remain true to the blood of their fallen heroes as such crimes will only strengthen their determination to achieve the goals of their revolution despite the regrettable inaction of the international community.

May our wounded recover, our detainees be free, and our fallen heroes rest in peace.

Long live Syria and the Syrian people, free and with honor.