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U.S. Statement at the Interactive Dialogue with the COI on Syria
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July 6, 2021

Statement by the United States at the Human Rights Council

Interactive Dialogue on the Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic

Statement by the Delegation of the United States of America
UN Human Rights Council – 47th Session

Geneva, July 6, 2021

As Delivered by Jesse Lynch

We thank the Commission of Inquiry for its reporting on the horrific abuses committed against people in Syria over the last decade. This critical work would not be possible without the brave Syrian human rights defenders who continue to document abuses and support victims of the Assad regime’s atrocities.

Today’s dialogue highlights yet again the Assad regime’s systemic effort to silence calls for reform. Countless Syrians continue to be denied fair trials and subjected to torture and sexual violence.

We stand with the Syrian people in calling for the regime to release those it has unjustly detained and provide information on the status of the 130,000 Syrians who reportedly remain missing or in detention.

Without accountability and progress toward the release of detainees and identification of the fate or whereabouts of the missing, there can be no lasting peace in Syria.

Question: How can we better support efforts to uncover the fate of missing Syrians?