Qatar and the Principality of Liechtenstein delivered a joint message to the Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres, expressing their deep condemnation and concern at reports that monitor the Syrian regime's violations, abuses, torture and systematic killing of prisoners whose only charge was the demand for freedom, justice and peaceful coexistence.
The message was signed by HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Justice and Culture of Liechtenstein Aurelia Frick, on behalf of 41 countries: the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Spain, Australia, Estonia, Portugal, Czech Republic, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Hungary, Morocco, Mexico, Austria, Greece, Andorra, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Ukraine, Belgium, Bulgaria, Poland, Turkey, Georgia, Romania, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia, France, Finland, Cyprus, Canada, Croatia, Latvia, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Malta, Monaco, New Zealand and the Netherlands.
The message stated that the Syrian regime violated the right of families of political detainees to know the fate of their relatives and bury them. It pointed out that many of the families of the political detainees were avoiding conducting condolence ceremonies when they learned of the death of their relatives for fear of brutality of the Syrian regime.
The signatory States to the message called on the United Nations to investigate the torture and executions of political detainees and to act to punish the Syrian regime for its crimes, its continuous violation of human rights and the endangerment of the lives of millions of innocent Syrians. They stressed that disappearances and forced torture are one of the most important issues that the United Nations must consider and address in the political process that it leads in Syria.
The message was delivered by HE the Permanent Representative of Qatar to the United Nations Ambassador Sheikha Alia Ahmed bin Saif al-Thani, and the Permanent Representative of the Principality of Liechtenstein to the United Nations ambassador Christian Wenweser.
