Fadel Abdulghani, Director of the Syrian Network for Human Rights, confirmed that the arrest of the criminal Ali Kiiali, known as "Ma'raj Ural," represents a significant development in the path to accountability for the Al-Bayda and Ras al-Nabaa massacres in Baniyas, which occurred in May 2013.
For his part, Abdulghani emphasized in a statement to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on Thursday the importance of this step for the Network, as it documented the massacres since their occurrence and named Kiiali in its report issued on May 10, 2013, based on testimonies from residents who identified him as one of the massacre leaders.
Abdulghani said: "We documented the killing of 459 civilians, including 92 children and 71 women, in the two massacres, in addition to dozens of missing persons and detainees. The violations included summary executions, killings of entire families, burning of bodies and homes, and looting of property, carried out by the regime forces and loyalist militias."
Abdulghani added: "We have early documentation of victims and facts, along with testimonies, information, photos, and recordings collected since the occurrence of the massacres. These materials can form an important basis for criminal investigation, but converting them into judicial evidence requires verifying their sources, authenticity, and integrity, and re-interviewing witnesses when necessary."
He pointed to the necessity of ensuring the right of victims' families to know the truth, participate in judicial procedures, and obtain justice and reparation, expressing the Network's readiness to cooperate with the competent judiciary, as it did in previous cases, and working to ensure that arrests result in fair judicial verdicts based on reliable evidence.
The General Intelligence Directorate had announced earlier that day the arrest of Kiiali while he was attempting to flee across the border. He is considered one of the main figures responsible for the Al-Bayda and Ras al-Nabaa massacres in Baniyas in 2013, which resulted in the killing of hundreds of civilians, including women and children, and the annihilation of entire families.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
Comments (0)