On Sunday, the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces issued a statement unequivocally rejecting the return of the Assad regime to the Arab League.
The statement, entitled “On the Return of the Criminal Assad Regime to the Seats of the Arab League,” declared that the Syrian people had returned alone, without official Arab support, after the Arab League’s decision to reinstate the criminal regime. The Syrian National Coalition expressed its strong objection and dissatisfaction with the decision to “reintegrate the criminal regime into the Arab League,” stressing that such a move would signify the abandonment of the Syrian people’s just demands and their years-long struggle for justice, freedom, and democracy.
The Coalition emphasized that the decision constituted an overt bias in favour of the Assad regime’s brutal and oppressive regime, which has caused immense suffering and misery for millions of Syrians. It further warned that the decision would serve to strengthen the power of the Assad regime and its allies, including Iran, and would lead to more violence, brutality, and terrorism toward the Syrian people.
The Coalition’s statement concluded by calling on the international community to stand with the Syrian people in their ongoing struggle for justice, democracy, and human rights and to take concrete steps to hold the Assad regime accountable for its crimes against humanity.
The National Coalition highlighted that the Assad regime has continuously ignored Arab demands to cease killings, detentions, and drug exports. Furthermore, the regime is a backer and foundation of the expansionist mullahs’ regime project in the Arab region. Betting on a change in the behaviour of the war criminal, Bashar al-Assad is a futile exercise, and allowing him to evade punishment for his war crimes against Syrians is unacceptable.
The Syrian National Coalition further stated that the approach taken by the international envoy in the name of “step for step” has served the regime’s interests and legitimized its existence. Now, the Arab League’s decision to rehabilitate the regime and reinstate it to its seats within the League represents a reward for the regime, not a return to Syria. This move is a disregard for the Syrian people’s will.
The National Coalition reiterated the need for a complete political transition in Syria in line with UN Resolution 2254. It is crucial to hold Assad and his regime accountable for their crimes and subject them to a fair trial. Any initiative that exists outside the international resolution framework is a circumvention of the Syrian people’s demands and a biased move in favour of the Assad regime and its allies.
We were not consulted
Badr Jamous, the head of the Syrian Negotiation Committee, expressed his disapproval of the decision to reinstate the regime to the Arab League, stating that it undermines the Syrian people’s efforts for change and disregards their demands.
Jamous added that the decision was made without consulting the Syrian people, which is unacceptable. He also emphasized that the regime’s return to the Arab League, without the release of any detainees or the return of any refugees, or even the provision of any positive steps related to the political process, is a significant blow to the Syrian people’s aspirations and rights.
Furthermore, Jamous stated that the regime’s return will not contribute to achieving the desired stability and peace in Syria and will only further complicate the situation. He concluded that the decision to reinstate the regime represents a setback for the political process and will push the Syrian people to continue their just revolution until their legitimate rights are achieved.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
