The International Court of Justice has begun conducting public hearings in the case brought forth by the governments of Canada and the Netherlands regarding “crimes of torture” attributed to the Assad regime.
The lawsuit jointly filed on June 8 centers on allegations of torture and the use of chemical weapons and is anticipated to last for two days.
The allegations pertain to violations of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel and Inhuman Treatment, encompassing the use of chemical weapons since 2011.
In their complaint, Canada and the Netherlands detailed the unimaginable physical and mental suffering experienced by victims, attributed to the abhorrent treatment of detainees, inhumane conditions in detention facilities, enforced disappearances, sexual and gender-based violence, and violence against children.
The two countries beseeched the court to urgently issue orders to Syria, mandating the cessation of all forms of torture and arbitrary detention, permitting foreign inspectors to access prisons, and facilitating the sharing of information with families concerning the whereabouts of their relatives.
They underscored Syria’s widespread employment of a pervasive torture system.
Established after World War II, the International Court of Justice adjudicates exclusively in disputes between States , with its decisions being final and unappealable.
The court’s ruling, expected in several weeks, could potentially result in preventive measures, urging the involved parties to refrain from actions that could undermine the effectiveness of subsequent decisions by the judges in this case, a process that may span years.
The United States and the United Kingdom have both commended the International Court of Justice for conducting public hearings in the case.
