Halfaya: Blood Sacrificed for Bread

The criminal regime has committed another massacre in the city of Halfaya (Province of Hama), killing more than 200 innocent civilians and wounding hundreds of civilians, adding another crime to its criminal record and another blow to international values in general.

In a stark disdain towards all principles, laws and universally recognized norms that the international community has developed to protect human beings and ensure its basic rights and dignity, Assad’s terrorist regime has committed another crime against humanity when it targeted children, women and men who went out to get their scarce daily bread ration, just to find instead death and bombs waiting for them to turn them into torn pieces on the pavement of their city, Halfaya.

The criminal Assad regime not only failed to secure bread for the Syrian people (in spite of his claims to the contrary), it even resents the fact that the Joint Military Council was able to secure its supplies and prevent starvation of citizens. The regime shelled one of the bakeries in Halfaya in order to simply annihilate its residents. This latest massacre took place under the support and watch of Russian and Iranian regimes.

The National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces reminds the international community of its moral and humanitarian obligations, as this new massacre came just before the visit of the international envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi to Damascus, and amidst the talk about new initiatives. The massacre also came after the world’s powers knew of the regime’s use of Scud missiles and their failure to react towards such serious violations by taking any serious actions necessitated by international laws and humanitarian obligations.

The Syrian Coalition is taking action on several tracks considering all possible measures to prosecute those criminals who were involved in Halfaya Massacre on December 23, 2012 and bring them to justice.

The Syrian Coalition further announces it will submit an official request to the UN Security Council to open an investigation into the massacre and other similar previous ones that targeted bakeries, in order to submit the file to the International Criminal Court after considerable evidence accumulated proving the targeting of innocent civilians near bakeries was intentional and that the regime’s senior leadership was directly involved in these crimes.

The Syrian Coalition delivered an immediate aid of USD 100,000 to the Local Administrative Council of Hama and is in the process of securing additional funds in the coming days from other donors. The Coalition also sent the same amount two days ago to the Military Council of Hama.

May God grant our fallen heroes with peace and forgiveness, heal the wounds of our injured citizens and set free our detainees and prisoners.