Syrian Coalition Renews Call for Protection of Civilians

Press Statement

Khalid Saleh

Syrian Coalition Media Office President

April 05, 2014

During the past 4 days, Assad’s forces have carried out intensive and indiscriminate air raids on residential areas in Aleppo. The media office has been gathering information and following the situation closely on the ground. We have documented the death of at least 180 civilians. More than 101 barrel bombs were dropped on Aleppo’s neighborhoods including, al Sha’ar, al Sakhour, al Sheikh Maqsoud, and al Sheikh Najar.

Indiscriminate shelling of civilians is a war crime. Protocol 1, Article 51 of the Geneva Conventions clearly prohibits the indiscriminate bombardment of cities where civilian population may reside. It states: “Indiscriminate attacks are prohibited. Indiscriminate attacks are: those which are not directed –or cannot be directed- at a specific military objective or those which employ a method or means of combat the effects of which cannot be limited as required by this Protocol.”

Activists from around the world have started a campaign called “Save Aleppo” to draw the world’s attention to the atrocities committed on an industrial scale against the civilian population in Aleppo, and indeed across the country.

The international community has a responsibility to protect the Syrian people against the barbarity of a tyrannical regime that would stop at nothing to cling to power. The Syrian dossier must be referred to the International Criminal Court for prosecution of war crimes against the Syrian people. Perpetrators should be held accountable and justice must be served.