(Washington, D.C., December 8, 2024) — In response to the dramatic collapse of the Syrian government, DAWN issued the following statement:
"The dramatic collapse, however overdue, of the Syrian regime reflects first and foremost how rotten to the core it was; millions of Syrians will celebrate the demise of this hated, oppressive regime," said Sarah Leah Whitson, DAWN's Executive Director. "One can only hope that the Syrian people will gain a measure of freedom and democratic rule, rather than a new dictatorship controlled by foreign forces, to replace Assad."
"The international community should seek to hold Assad and his cronies accountable for their heinous abuses against their own citizens," said Whitson. "The U.S. government should avoid interfering to support any armed groups in the country, and immediately move to lift the country-wide sanctions on the country that have caused so much economic suffering in the country."
"The United States should immediately withdraw its troops from Syria and refrain from meddling in Syrian domestic politics," said Raed Jarrar, DAWN's Advocacy Director. "The U.S. should also instruct Israel to refrain from using U.S. weapons to interfere in Syria, in light of reports indicating multiple Israeli airstrikes in Syria, which risk further destabilizing the region."
