Accountability for action: trials of military officials close to Assad begin in Syria
Syria's new authorities have launched a series of trials against military officers associated with Bashar al-Assad's regime and accused of war crimes, the Syrian Human Rights Monitoring Center told Izvestia. The campaign targets officers, local militias and informants who worked for the former Syrian leadership. Earlier, the authorities have already announced their intention to organize trials of journalists who worked in the interests of the former president. Against this background, the formation of the interim government of the country continues - the ministers of foreign affairs and defense have been appointed. What are the priorities of the new authorities of the country and whether they benefit from large-scale purges of the state apparatus - in the material of "Izvestia".
Trials against Assad's associates have begun in Syria
In Syria began trials against surrendered military officers associated with the government of Bashar al-Assad. This was reported to "Izvestia" by the Syrian Center for Monitoring Human Rights. The new authorities have initiated proceedings against officers, militias and informants who cooperated with the former elite.
-Hundreds of soldiers and officers have surrendered their weapons, while a large number of representatives of the former regime have been arrested, trials are underway for captured soldiers and officers, " the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Monitoring Center said.
A judicial committee will review the cases of the detainees, hold trials against all those involved in the killings and release those whose non-involvement is proven, the human rights organization said.
According to the Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, the cases will be handled by a judicial committee affiliated with the Justice Ministry of the interim government formed by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (a terrorist organization banned in Russia).
The publication notes that the campaign is targeting officers, militias and informants accused of war crimes. At the same time, Asharq Al-Awsat writes that the persecution may also affect figures associated with the wife of former Syrian President Asma al-Assad.
Earlier, the country's Ministry of Information said that the transitional authorities intend to start legal proceedings against journalists"who were part of the military and propaganda machine" of the government under Assad.
- This will escalate into a crackdown because it is a common practice in the Middle East. The questions here are more in their nature and scope. Obviously, the focus is on all intelligence functionaries and other figures who, according to the forces that came to power in Damascus, were in one way or another involved in harsh actions against the opposition. It is still difficult to talk about the scale of these processes," Kirill Semenov, an expert at the Russian International Affairs Council, told Izvestia.
As early as December 10, the authorities began publishing appeals to citizens asking them to search for those they called criminals, Vladimir Akhmedov, a senior researcher at the Center for the Study of General Problems of the Modern East at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Izvestia. They were referring to the heads of five key Syrian security services, whom the new authorities accuse of using violence against the population.
- An external factor is also playing a role. The Turkish side insists on trials, on the release of the apparatus of the key, most combat-ready army divisions and special services from the former managers. Turkey is now trying to manage the processes, and their actions in the special services were caused by fears that there are many supporters of Iran and Russia there (in the Syrian security forces - "Izvestia"). Ankara, of course, wants to replace them with its own people," said Vladimir Akhmedov.
Besides, such a course may be conditioned by distrust of the representatives of the former authorities on the part of the opposition circles that have established control over the country.
- Perhaps they will be told that they shouldn't do this, because if they start persecuting the entire top and middle command staff, it will lead to nothing good. Someone should ensure order in the country, provide security at the stage of political transit," said Vladimir Akhmedov.
New appointments in the interim government of Syria
Meanwhile, the formation of the new Syrian government continues. Asad Hassan al-Shibani became the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Previously, he was the head of the political affairs department of the so-called Syrian Salvation Government - the self-proclaimed Idlib administration, responsible for foreign relations of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
Before the change of power in Damascus, al-Shibani was also known as Zaid al-Attar - under this name, in January 2012 he became one of the founders of Jebhat al-Nusra (a terrorist organization banned in Russia), affiliated with al-Qaeda (a terrorist organization banned in Russia). He worked in media structures affiliated with this group.
An equally important appointment is the inauguration of Murhaf Abu Qasra as defense minister of the interim government. Previously, he was the commander of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham's military wing. According to media reports, he played a significant role in organizing the military operation "Containment of Aggression," which resulted in Hayat Tahrir al-Sham seizing power in Damascus in a 10-day offensive.
The new defense chief will face more challenges, such as Israeli military action. On Dec. 8, IDF armored units crossed the line of demarcation in the Golan Heights. In some areas, Israeli forces approached Damascus at a distance of 20 kilometers, media reports said. Israel continues to strike Syrian army air defense systems, military depots in the provinces of Hama, Homs and Latakia.
Israeli soldiers try to place an Israeli flag in Syria after the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, view from Majdal Shams in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights
The Kurdish issue remains another unresolved problem. "Forces of Democratic Syria" (SDF) with the support of the United States control vast territories in the northeast of the country, where the largest oil fields of Syria are concentrated. The leader of the SDF, General Mazloum Abdi, against the backdrop of recent events, expressed his readiness to dialog with the military operations command that seized power in Damascus. The new authorities are not yet interested in participating in hostilities against Kurdish detachments, Mazloum Abdi said.
At the same time,fighting between Kurdish forces and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) has been going on for the second week in the north of the country. The SNA, backed by the Turkish army, has launched an offensive on the region's key Tishrin hydroelectric plant and the Kara Kwazak bridge, while the Kurds have managed to repel attacks by pro-Turkish forces.
International recognition of the new Syrian authorities
There has been diplomatic activity in Damascus in recent days. After 13 years, the Qatari embassy in Syria has reopened. No less significant was the meeting between the leader of the Military Operations Command, Ahmed al-Sharaa, and the Saudi delegation on December 22 at the People's Palace in Damascus.
On December 23, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi visited Syria and held "extensive talks" with Ahmed al-Sharaa and expressed hope for political transformation in the country.
It is known that Russia is also in contact with the groups controlling the situation in the country. At the same time, Moscow has noticed that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has undergone a process of internal changes. Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
"Even those groups that once fought with the Assad regime, with government forces, have also undergone internal changes," the Russian leader noted on December 19.
The leader of Syria's new authorities, Ahmed al-Sharaa (known by his nickname Abu Mohammed al-Julani)
The West is also showing interest in the new authorities. Senior U.S. diplomats met with the new Syrian leader in Damascus. The United States is asking Hayat Tahrir al-Sham to help find Austin Tice, an American journalist detained in Syria in 2012. At the same time, the U.S. admits the possibility of removing Hayat Tahrir al-Sham from its list of terrorist groups because it makes "the right statements and has acted correctly so far," a senior U.S. administration official said at a briefing in Washington as early as December 9.
On December 11, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, commenting on the possibility of excluding Hayat Tahrir al-Sham from the list of terrorist organizations, said that Moscow would proceed "from the specific cases" of the group.
British representatives also commented on the situation in the same vein. The legalization of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham will depend on how the group behaves, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Minister at Large) Pat McFadden said on December 9.
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