The Silent Suffering: Syria Under Assad's Regime ft Gaza

Written by: Ahmad El Khalaf
- Senior News Producer & War Journalist

The Syrian conflict has been an inferno of human suffering due to the countless civilian lives killed by the brutal bombardment and displacement of the Iranian backed President Bashar al-Assad. I will be skipping so much in this feature - allocating only hundreds of words to this news coverage would do it injustice, as it is merely a touch on Syria.

In the heart of the Middle East, North is Turkey, East is Iraq, South is Jordan, West is Palestine, Israel & Lebanon, followed by the Mediterranean Sea leading to Cyprus – Syria with its traditions of unity of religions, with one of the oldest Capitals and Cities and Empires – has become a laughing stock and a donkey’s stable by Bashar Al Assad and his dictator father - for the past near five decades.

As the Syrian ‘revolution’ unfolded back in early 2011, where dozens of
young kids from the Syrian city of Daraa were detained and tortured by
Assad’s heartless removal of their fingernails, his regime ensured to
commit further tragic acts - such as the use of chemical weapons on
Damascus. 

Assad’s war crimes have been documented and highlighted effectively
during the first six years of the protest movement – eventually becoming
an armed conflict within the commencing years. Similarly to the Gaza civilians, Syria’s civilians have also paid the price of an unbalanced war with their lives.

Amongst the list of the most vicious violations of human rights is the plight of political detainees, as civilians are imprisoned by the Syrian dictatorship for expressing anti-Assad opinions. Their participation in the peaceful protest movements calling for democracy and dignity was perceived as threats by the Assad regime.

Over one million detained civilians’ families have not heard from their missing loved one/s, since their illegal detention by Assad, Hezbollah, ISIS and further Iranian Regime terrorist proxies.

The international community has truly grappled with how to address the
humanitarian crisis in Syria as its problems were so ambiguously
significant.

The UN, the US, the UK, the EU, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan and Turkey have been key players in the ongoing efforts to lessen the suffering of the Syrian people with their attempts in bringing about a resolution to the conflict

The other alliance that has united against the Syrian protesters ranges from Assad, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon & Russia.

However, in Gaza’s case, the alliances are so ‘politically’ embedded together, such as the US’ continuous refusal to call for a ceasefire in response to the 20,000+ Palestinian innocent civilian victims. The majority of the Palestinians killed by Israel were civilians, and had no association to October 7th apart falling victim to becoming killed, such as the 100+ journalists that were killed by Israel.

The UN, as a global body committed to maintaining international peace and security, has repeatedly called for an end to the detention of political detainees in Syria. Various resolutions have been passed, condemning the Assad regime's human rights abuses and demanding the release of political detainees. However, the effectiveness of these resolutions has been limited by geopolitical complexities and the veto power of certain UN Security Council members such as Russia.

The US and its allies, including the UK, have consistently condemned the actions of the Assad regime, with France recently labelling Assad as a war criminal – issuing his arrest to the International Criminal Court (ICC). Some Nations from the EU and the GCC have implemented sanctions on Assad in response to his human rights violations throughout the years, however, Assad’s recent return to the Arab League this year remains very controversial.

Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Jordan, Kuwait, Egypt and further Arabian
countries have been involved in diplomatic efforts to address the broader Syrian crisis. Many of those Nations have called for a political solution to the conflict, emphasising the need for inclusivity and the protection of human rights and for the complete end of the tragic bloodshed.

Turkey, sharing a border with Syria, has been deeply affected by the conflict and has played a multifaceted role. While initially supporting some rebel groups similar to its allies, Turkey has also engaged in efforts to broker ceasefires and facilitate dialogue between conflicting parties. In addition to Erdogan’s dislike to Assad, it’s important to note that Turkey accommodates millions of the Syrian refugees and their treasures.

Numerous reports from international human rights organisations detail mass instances of torture, arbitrary arrests, and disappearances. Families are left in the dark about the fate of their loved ones, and the international community grapples with the difficulty of holding the Assad regime accountable for these atrocities.

The Iranian regime terrorist proxies continue to bombard bakeries, schools, hospitals and civilians, with no global power to hold them physically to account.

As the Syrian conflict continues to evolve, the question of political detainees does not remain at the forefront of international discussions. With over one million civilians reported to have been detained, and not heard back from - balancing the geopolitical interests of key players becomes imperative to protect human rights - presenting an ongoing challenge.

The global community must persist in its efforts to address the root causes of the conflict and work towards a resolution that ensures justice for the political detainees who have suffered silently for far too long.