Syrian Regime Investigates Assad-Era 'Mass Grave' While Still Led by Assad
The Syrian government, led by Bashar al-Assad, has reportedly secured a mass grave site near Damascus and opened a 'criminal investigation' into 2013 atrocities, discovered recently by the current transitional government. This newfound commitment to accountability follows years of international condemnation for the Assad regime's documented use of chemical weapons, barrel bombs, and systematic
torture and killings in prisons, as detailed by numerous human rights organizations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. It's a curious turn to investigate abuses from an 'Assad-era' when that era, by all appearances, continues to be led by Mr. Assad himself. Such investigations, helmed by the very power structure accused of the crimes, have a distinct scent of self-exoneration.
It's like asking the fox to investigate the missing chickens, years after the fact. How many 'eras' of documented state-sponsored violence will pass before accountability means something more than a performative inquiry by the implicated?