Baerbock visits Saidnaya Prison close to Damascus | EUROtoday

The Syrian ruler had Assad tortured and executed in Saidnaya Prison. Today Foreign Minister Baerbock visited the place of horror. She referred to as for worldwide efforts to prosecute the perpetrators.

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock visited the infamous Saidnaya torture jail close to the capital Damascus round 4 weeks after the coup in Syria. Together along with her French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot, the Green politician was knowledgeable by representatives of the Syrian civil safety group White Helmets.

Saidnaya might be essentially the most infamous army jail from the time of long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad. Since 2011, human rights activists have documented systematic mass executions, torture and the disappearance of hundreds of prisoners there.

International efforts to Law enforcement

Baerbock referred to as for worldwide efforts to carry the perpetrators accountable. In order to make sure justice and training, Germany and Europe have supported actors such because the White Helmets, but in addition the UN, in accumulating proof in recent times, mentioned Baerbock. “That’s exactly what we want to continue,” she introduced.

People had been killed within the jail “using methods that cannot be imagined in a civilized world,” mentioned Baerbock.

Conversations with Interim authorities

Baerbock arrived in Syria within the morning for an unannounced go to. Together with Barrot and on behalf of the EU, she desires to carry talks with representatives of the transitional authorities.

The two politicians wish to meet, amongst others, the chief of the Islamist militia Hajat Tahrir al-Shams (HTS), Ahmed al-Sharaa. Barrot additionally visited the French embassy in Damascus, which has been closed for 13 years.

First go to from prime representatives give me

Baerbock and Barrot are the primary overseas ministers from an EU state to go to Syria since Assad’s fall. Before her departure, Baerbock had given the brand new de facto rulers in Syria circumstances for resuming relations with Germany and the European Union.

“There can only be a new beginning if the new Syrian society gives all Syrians, women and men, regardless of ethnic or religious group, a place in the political process, grants rights and offers protection,” mentioned Baerbock. These rights should be safeguarded and shouldn’t be undermined “by excessively long deadlines for elections or by steps to Islamize the justice or education systems.”

“Know where HTS comes from”

However, Baerbock remained skeptical about al-Sharaa. “We know where the HTS comes from ideologically, what it has done in the past,” mentioned Baerbock. But you may as well see the need for moderation and understanding with different necessary gamers.

The HTS militia emerged from the Al-Nusra Front, an offshoot of the Al-Qaeda terrorist community. Al-Sharaa broke away from Al-Qaeda and the terrorist group Islamic State (IS). To this present day, nonetheless, there are reviews that the HTS management maintains contact with Al-Qaeda. The HTS ended Assad’s rule on December eighth. As a end result, the prisoners in Saidnaya Prison had been additionally freed.

With data from Moritz Behrendt, ARD-Cairo