'Fight against impunity for the most serious crimes committed in Syria has been a long-standing priority for Belgium,' Foreign Ministry spokesperson tells Anadolu
Belgium on Tuesday said it encourages the new administration in Syria to cooperate with the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism for Syria (IIIM) to investigate crimes committed by the ousted Bashar Assad regime.
Bashar Assad, Syria's leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963.
Asked by Anadolu about Belgium's position and potential actions to investigate crimes committed by the Assad regime, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson noted they favor the use of existing mechanisms in this regard.
"The fight against impunity for the most serious crimes committed in Syria has been a long-standing priority for Belgium," the spokesperson said, adding that Belgium was part of a large group of 58 states that already asked the UN Security Council in 2013 to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Mentioning that if the path of the UN Security Council still seems to be blocked today, the fact remains that the ICC could be in charge of the case.
"Indeed, the Rome Statute gives the Syrian authorities the possibility of accepting the jurisdiction of the Court, as Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) and Ukraine have already done, before fully becoming parties to the Rome Statute."
The spokesperson suggested that the creation of an international criminal tribunal for Syria would be a "long, politically complicated and costly process."
Recalling that Belgium also played a central role in the adoption of a United Nations General Assembly resolution establishing the IIIM, the spokesperson said that the mechanism is mandated to assist in the investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the most serious crimes under international law committed in Syria since March 2011.
"This investigative mechanism is active and has already supported prosecutions before the courts of various countries of the European Union."
The Foreign Ministry spokesperson noted that Belgium has also adapted its law on cooperation with international criminal courts to allow the country's courts to cooperate judicially with the IIIM.
"The IIIM is undoubtedly the most appropriate mechanism at the moment to ensure that the perpetrators of the most serious crimes committed in Syria do not go unpunished."
It should be stressed that the IIIM has jurisdiction over all crimes under international law committed in Syria, regardless of the side of the alleged perpetrators," the spokesperson added.
"Belgium encourages the Damascus authorities to cooperate actively with the IIIM."
