A United Nations (UN) panel has, for the first time, accused Russia of being responsible for war crimes for indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas, it was revealed on 2 March.
The UN report from the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria covered the period between 11 July 2019 to 10 January 2020 and focused on “pro-government forces”. It found substantial proof that Russian aircraft were directly involved in the bombing of civilian areas. While the panel has previously indicated that Russian forces were responsible for war crimes, this report was the first time it has found evidence of the Kremlin’s culpability.
In one incident in July 2019 in the densely populated Ma’arrat al-Nu’man in northwestern Syria, some 30km south of Idlib city, Russian airstrike killed 43 civilians, including four children and at least 109 people were injured.
The report describes the incident as a “double tap” attack, as a second bombing wave hit the same area minutes after the first. The airstrikes killed dozens of civilians as rescuers rushed to help.
The second attack investigated was the August bombing of a compound for displaced civilians in Hass in the southern Idlib governorate that killed 20 people, including eight women and six children, and injured 40 others.
“Based on the evidence available, including witness testimonies, video footage, data imagery as well as reports by flight spotters, flight communication intercepts and early warning observation reports, the Commission has reasonable grounds to believe that a Russian aircraft participated in each incident described above,” the report said.
“In both incidents, the Russian Air Force did not direct the attacks at a specific military objective, amounting to the war crime of launching indiscriminate attacks in civilian areas,” the report adds.
Russia vehemently denies the report’s findings. “We absolutely do not agree with these statements,” said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, claiming that the commission did not get “reliable” information about what happened on the ground in northwestern Syria. “We decisively reject such accusations. They were made just a day or two after the terrorists in Idlib began their campaign against Syrian troops.”
Idlib, just across Turkey’s southern border, falls within a de-escalation zone laid out in a September 2018 deal between Russia Syria – the biggest outside backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his fight against rebels – and Turkey. Under the agreement, Turkish troops in Idlib were to protect civilians from attacks by the Assad regime and its allies.
But the Syrian regime and its allies have consistently broken the terms of the deal, launching frequent air attacks and bombardments inside the territory, where acts of aggression are prohibited. Turkey said Moscow should pressure its Syrian ally to halt the bombing. “The responsibility to stop the regime attacks (in Idlib) is on our neighbour Russia,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told Turkish broadcaster TGRT Haber.
The UN report warned that people in Syria continue to face “unprecedented levels of suffering and pain” after nearly nine years of conflict. Idlib’s Russia-backed government has caused the biggest exodus of the nine-year Syrian war. In the past year, nearly two million people have been displaced in Idlib and neighbouring areas, according to Syria’s Response Coordination Group; the UN estimates that 80% of them are women and children.
The report makes various recommendations for the Government, parties to the conflict and the international community to improve the protection of civilians. “I urge all parties to the conflict to engage in good faith dialogue to bring an end to this tragic conflict and to allow unfettered humanitarian aid and assistance through to all people in need immediately”, urged Commission of Inquiry Chair Paulo Pinheiro.
The commission has been mandated to investigate and record all violations of international law in Syria since March 2011. “Despite appeals and recommendations in previous reports for warring parties to take corrective action, the calls have largely gone unheeded” the report said. “All warring parties continue to ignore or deny protection, including guarantees of sustained and unhindered humanitarian assistance, to vulnerable civilians.”
Image credit: Alisdare Hickson