Canada and the Netherlands are taking Syria to the International Court of Justice over allegations of torture, the court said on Monday, marking the first such case against Damascus over the country's 12-year-long civil war.
The two countries filed a case against Syria on Thursday “concerning alleged violations of the [UN's] Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment,” the ICJ said in a press release.
Damascus has committed “countless violations of international law” since the civil war began, the court quoted them as saying, beginning with the “violent repression” of civilian protesters.
Canada and the Netherlands decided to act in 2020 after Russia blocked multiple efforts in the United Nations Security Council to refer a case on human rights violations in Syria to the International Criminal Court, which prosecutes individuals for war crimes and is also based in The Hague.
If the ICJ is found to have jurisdiction, it would be the first international court to rule on the alleged use of torture during Syria's brutal civil war.
In their application, Canada and the Netherlands claim that “Syria has committed countless violations of International law, beginning at least in 2011,” and they ask for emergency measures to be taken to protect those at risk of being tortured, the ICJ said in a statement.
It detailed allegations of torture, enforced disappearances and sexual violence, among other crimes, including the use of chemical weapons “which has been a particularly abhorrent practice to intimidate and punish the civilian population.”
Damascus ratified the UN's Convention Against Torture in 2004.
The government of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad has been accused of torturing and killing thousands of civilians during the lengthy civil war, which erupted after the government's repression of mass street protests in 2011.
Syrian officials have been found guilty of torture in Germany.
In January, a former Syrian intelligence officer was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of crimes against humanity by a German court.
The trial of Anwar Raslan was the first to prosecute over Syrian state-sponsored abuse.
He was found guilty of overseeing the murder of 27 people and the torture of 4,000 others at the Al Khatib detention centre in Damascus between April 2011 and September 2012. More than 80 people testified in the trial.
In April, a Syrian-American filed a civil lawsuit against Damascus in a US court for allegedly detaining and torturing him.
Obada Mzaik said he filed the case “in the name of all the many Syrians who were tortured in detention centres but who don’t have the opportunity to obtain justice.”
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Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
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- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
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- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
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- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
