Head of International Investigation Committee on Syria Welcomes Syrian Government's Actions and Calls on International Community to Support Them

Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, head of the independent international committee on Syria, welcomed the recent efforts made by the Syrian government to reveal the fate of the forcibly disappeared and missing persons, considering these steps as a "positive development".

This came during a speech delivered by Pinheiro at the fifty-ninth session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, where he praised the establishment of the National Commission for Transitional Justice and the National Commission for Missing Persons, saying: "We expect them to provide support and justice to survivors, victims, and their families", adding that "this is an extremely challenging task for any government to undertake".

Pinheiro emphasized the importance of international support for the Syrian government, pointing out that "the repeated commitments of the authorities to protect everyone's rights in Syria without discrimination are encouraging and should be met with the necessary support from the international community".

The committee's head also addressed the challenges facing Syria, noting that "many internal injustices have been exacerbated by external interventions", expressing his satisfaction with the return of "tens of thousands of Syrian displaced persons" in recent months.

In a related context, Pinheiro described the lifting of economic sanctions on Syria as an "encouraging step", confirming that it will contribute to "opening the country to new investments".

On the other hand, Pinheiro warned of the repeated Israeli attacks on Syrian territories, cautioning that they "raise serious concerns about violations of human rights and international humanitarian law".