Damascus, SANA-The Annual Global Justice Award conference was held Wednesday to honor US Ambassador for War Crimes Stephen Rapp.
The conference, organized by Global Justice under the title “Building a Just, Peaceful, and Democratic Syria,” was held at the Seven Gates Hotel in Damascus.
In her speech, Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Hind Kabawat praised Mr. Rapp’s significant efforts in supporting justice in Syria and exposing the former regime’s crimes against Syrians.
Kabawat noted that in honor of the regime’s victims, a hospital will be established in the name of Dr. Majd Kamalmaz, who was killed in the detention centers of the former regime. A center will also be established to support youth and victims of detention centers in the name of Mazen Hamada, who was tortured and killed like thousands of Syrians in the detention centers of the former regime.
For her part, the Vice President of the Global Justice Organization, Ms. Global Justice’s Maysa Kabbani said in her speech that the new, free Syria is proud of all its sons who, during the years of the revolution, have supported their country, whether inside or outside Syria, including civil society organizations. She noted that expatriates, including those residing in the United States, came to Syria after the liberation to provide assistance in rebuilding Syria.
For his part, US Ambassador for War Crimes Affairs Stephen Rapp highlighted in his speech the great efforts made to document the crimes of the former regime through cooperation with brave Syrians who risked their lives to expose the horror of these crimes and inform the world about them. These crimes included torture and murder in prisons, detention, enforced disappearance, the siege and starvation of areas, the denial of access to medicine, the use of chemical weapons, and violations of the Geneva Conventions.
He noted that the crimes of the Assad regime are among the most heinous crimes committed in this century, and that they were committed amid international silence.
Rapp explained that these crimes were much better documented than they have been. It documented the crimes committed by the Nazi regime during World War II, noting that the efforts made over the past years have led the judiciary in some countries to arrest a number of officials from the former regime who lived in the United States and Europe.
Rapp believed that the “Caesar” photographs, which the regime denied and whose authenticity was confirmed by relevant institutions, were a primary reason for supporting the international campaign that exposed the Assad regime.
He also emphasized the testimonies regarding mass graves, which were documented with satellite imagery. He affirmed their readiness to cooperate with the Syrian government and authorities to pursue justice by documenting the crimes, revealing the fate of the forcibly disappeared and victims of mass graves through DNA analysis, and holding those responsible accountable.
The event included a presentation of the organization’s most important projects in Syria, including support and empowerment projects on the economic, political, and health levels, efforts to lift sanctions, and the construction of schools in camps, among other things.
At the end of the event, a handover was made. Honor shield for Ambassador Stephen Rapp.
MHD Ibrahim
