Canada and the Netherlands took Syria to the International Court of Justice for violating the Convention against Torture. Although the decision is binding, it cannot be enforced by the court.
The International Court of Justice ordered Syria to take immediate action against torture. The country must do everything possible to prevent torture or inhumane treatment of prisoners, the United Nations’ highest court said on Thursday in The Hague. It also committed Syria to ensuring that no evidence of torture would be destroyed.
Binding of verdict
The court upheld a lawsuit filed by Canada and the Netherlands. They sued Syria for violating the Convention against Torture. Syria did not attend the hearing in October and did not attend the verdict. The decisions of the UN court are binding. However, the court cannot enforce the sentence itself and can only appeal to the UN Security Council.
Legal representatives from Canada and the Netherlands have argued that tens of thousands of Syrian citizens have been tortured, murdered and kidnapped. Thousands have also been victims of sexual violence or poison gas attacks. People are detained in secret detention centers and are treated inhumanely there.
Violation of the United Nations Convention against Torture
Canada and the Netherlands initially called for emergency measures against Syria. President Bashar al-Assad’s government has systematically violated the United Nations Convention against Torture for at least 12 years. The main case against Syria that is still pending at the International Court of Justice could take years.
The Syrian conflict began in 2011 with protests against Assad’s government. After the violent repression of the protests, a bloody civil war broke out. So far, around half a million people have been killed and hundreds of thousands injured. (APA)