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As Russian missiles bombard Ukrainian cities and the U.S. secretary of state has known as Russia’s actions in Ukraine “battle crimes,” an eyewitness to crimes in opposition to humanity in Syria says he fears for the Ukrainian folks as a result of he is aware of what the Russian president is able to. He noticed it in his personal nation.
“I see the information popping out of Ukraine, my coronary heart hurts as a result of I do know what Russia has achieved in Ukraine — what it may possibly do — as a result of I do know what it is achieved in Syria,” stated one Syrian eyewitness, who spoke with CBS Information’ investigative unit in his first U.S. tv interview.
The eyewitness’ account is echoed by Stephen Rapp, a former U.S. ambassador at giant for battle crimes. Rapp advised CBS Information that Russian President Vladimir Putin crafted his Ukraine playbook years in the past in Syria, when his longtime ally President Bashar Al-Assad cracked down on the pro-democracy motion. Greater than 250,000 civilians have died within the greater than decadelong, brutal Syrian civil battle that adopted the Arab Spring motion in 2011.
“When it regarded like Assad was going to be overthrown by his personal folks, the Russians got here all in and joined within the bombardment of hospitals and civilian neighborhoods,” Rapp stated.
With Russia’s help, Assad stays in energy amid allegations of widespread crimes in opposition to humanity.
“Now we have to acknowledge the vital position that Russia performed within the crimes dedicated by the Assad regime and crimes, so horrendous that the UN stopped counting the lifeless at 400,000 years in the past,” Rapp stated.
Earlier this month on Capitol Hill, the Syrian eyewitness, identified solely as “the Gravedigger” to guard his id due to ongoing safety threats to him and his household, shared his first-hand account of two mass graves in Syria.
“Twice every week, a number of trailer vehicles would come and every truck would have upwards of 100 to 400 or extra our bodies,” he stated. “They have been tortured to demise, you can see clearly the indicators of torture on their our bodies. … This was a scientific equipment of demise.”
He pointed CBS Information to a web site close to the Syrian capital known as Al Qutayfah, the place satellite tv for pc photos present its transformation from a barren area to a sequence of trenches.
“Every part that was occurring, the mass graves, have been systematic and have been a part of what the Assad regime needed to do,” he stated.
In a landmark choice in January, a German courtroom discovered a former Syrian colonel, Anwar Raslan, responsible of crimes in opposition to humanity, based mostly on the Gravedigger’s account and different proof.
Syrian refugee Omar Al-Shogre thought he would by no means make it out of jail alive. Displaying a cigarette burn on his fingers, Shogre described the bodily and emotional torture he endured throughout his three years in Syrian detention.
He stated the regime stored meticulous information of the prisoners who died round him.
“I numbered a whole lot of our bodies, if not 1000’s of our bodies,” he advised CBS Information. “This human a part of you disappears so as so that you can survive.”
A number of Individuals have disappeared in Syria, together with journalist Austin Tice, humanitarian support employee Layla Shweikani and psychologist Majd Kamalmaz.
Shogre, now a scholar at Georgetown College, stated he nonetheless fears for his life.
“We talked to the FBI, we talked to different, you already know, battle crimes committees in numerous international locations as a result of I anticipate myself to be killed at any day,” he stated.
Seven years after his mom helped him escape from Syria, Shogre is now an advocate for human rights. Final month, he reunited together with his sister, displaying that it is doable to string the needle of despair and sew collectively hope and goal.
“I can cry for 100,000 years for what I went by. It will not even be sufficient, proper? However I’m going to inform everybody to inform the story of the Syrian folks by me,” Shogre stated. “What’s the advantage of your energy, if you happen to do not use it for good?”
Whereas the proof is overwhelming, the Syrian president has repeatedly denied crimes in opposition to his personal folks.
On Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated Russia’s assaults on civilians in Ukraine are battle crimes. Putin’s spokesman has “categorically rejected” the battle crimes allegation, in a transfer that additionally follows the playbook from Syria.
“You could possibly kill your approach out of it,” Rapp, the previous ambassador, stated. “And that is the lesson that Russia has taken to coronary heart too because it commits these crimes in Ukraine.”
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