Abdul Halim Khaddam, former Vice President of Syria, sent a message to the leaders of three major countries: the United States, Russia, and Britain. In the message, he stated, “After more than four decades of repression, persecution, and the confiscation of freedoms, depriving Syrian citizens of their basic rights, terrorizing them, impoverishing them, and looting the country’s wealth, the Syrian people began peaceful protests in mid-March, demanding freedom, dignity, and democracy. Since that day, the Syrian people have been subjected to brutal crimes committed by the military and security apparatuses under the orders of the head of state. All these crimes qualify as genocide under international law. During this period and up to now, more than two thousand people have been killed, and over eight thousand have been injured, in addition to the detention of more than twenty thousand citizens who have suffered the worst forms of torture, and dozens have been killed during torture, including many children, women, and the elderly.”
Khaddam further added that “the army established by the Syrians after gaining independence to protect and defend the country has turned into an occupying army invading cities and villages, killing people, and using all types of weapons, including tanks, artillery, and drones.”
In his message, Khaddam appealed to these countries to take the necessary measures outlined in the United Nations Charter and the principles of international human rights law to protect and empower the Syrian people to achieve their aspirations. He called for the establishment of a protected area from aviation and repression in Deir ez-Zor province in the eastern region of Syria, as well as in several other border provinces, to serve as a safe haven for Syrians facing repression.
Khaddam also mentioned the warm welcome received by the American and French ambassadors in the city of Hama, considered one of the most important national fortresses in Syria’s history, as a message on behalf of the Syrian people to the international community to take decisions and actions that protect them from the brutal crimes committed by the ruling regime and assist them in building a democratic civil state.
As part of its ongoing strategy to undermine the aspirations and ambitions of the Syrian people for freedom and democracy, the ruling regime in Syria continues its plan to invade cities and rural areas. Its invasion of the city of Hama at the end of last July, during which hundreds of citizens were killed and injured, sends a message to the international community and to all peoples who have condemned its crimes.
While military and security forces were bombarding the city of Hama to prepare for its invasion, other units of the army were besieging and shelling the city of Deir ez-Zor with the aim of invading it.
Khaddam concluded by saying, “We want to be frank with you that the Syrian people wonder why the international community is hesitant to take measures to protect them. We also hope that you can appreciate the danger of the peaceful protests turning into an armed conflict carried out by groups driven by desperation towards extremism and taking up arms against the army and regime’s collaborators. This could turn Syria into a haven for extremists coming from outside its borders, and then Syria would become a base for extremism in the entire region, potentially spreading beyond it.”
