International

SP member of Parliament Harry van Bommel, together with the director of Amnesty International today presented a report on the violence in Syria to the Russian ambassador. In doing so they were urging Russia to put more pressure on Syria to put a stop to violence against civilians. Russia is Syrian President Assad’s most important ally and has in the past supplied the country with large amounts of weaponry. The presentation of the report followed a silent march of around a hundred Syrians and Dutch sympathisers which ended at the Russian embassy.

The report from Amnesty International is based on the group’s own investigation in twenty-three towns and villages in two Syrian provinces. 'The report contains terrifying descriptions of the sealing of villages and the execution of men, women and children,’ Van Bommel explains. ‘These are direct crimes against humanity.' In the meeting at the Russian embassy not only were the violent acts of government troops were up for discussion, but also those of the opposition. In common with Amnesty, the SP supports a cease-fire by all parties, as well as the imposition of an arms embargo on all sides.

The Russians stressed that while in the past it was true that they had supplied Syria with weapons, this was no longer the case. They want now to see an international conference on Syria at which other countries in the region would be invited. This initiative has the support of the SP, and Van Bommel intends to urge Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal to also support the idea of holding such a conference.