Damascus, June 26 (SANA) Justice Minister Mazhar al-Wais on Friday renewed the Syrian state’s commitment to holding officials of the deposed regime accountable for the torture system that ran the “human slaughterhouses” and to ensuring justice for victims, uncovering the truth, and guaranteeing no impunity for perpetrators, on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.
The minister recalled the tens of thousands who died or suffered in the detention centers of the deposed regime, according to a statement on X.
Al-Wais affirmed the ministry’s commitment to implementing the National Comprehensive Strategy for the Prevention of Torture in cooperation with all partners, and taking all measures to prevent the recurrence of this tragedy in Syria, safeguard human dignity, and consolidate the rule of law.
The International Day in Support of Victims of Torture was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1997 to coincide with the entry into force of the Convention against Torture in 1987, affirming the international community’s commitment to combating torture in all its forms, supporting its victims, and reinforcing respect for human dignity in accordance with the Convention against Torture of 1984.
The Convention against Torture remains the cornerstone of international efforts to eliminate this practice. According to the Convention, torture is defined as any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted for purposes such as obtaining information, punishment, intimidation or discrimination, when committed by or with the consent of a public official.
Syria’s National Strategy for the Prevention of Torture, developed by the Ministry of Justice in cooperation with the National Commission for Transitional Justice and international partners, aims to establish a comprehensive framework to prevent torture, hold perpetrators accountable, and provide support for victims and their families.
KhA
