Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
Geneva, SANA-Syria warned of the repercussions of expanding and extending unilateral coercive measures imposed by the US and the European Union in light of measures taken to confront the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic, stressing that these measures form a new phase of economic terrorism.
Permanent representative of Syria to the United Nations in Geneva, Hussam Eddin Ala, in a statement at the United Nations’ Human Rights Council on Tuesday, criticized the unprecedented US expansion through resorting to unilateral, coercive measures and the increasing number of states targeted by them.
Ala, stressed that the European Union decision to extend the unilateral, coercive measures on Syria for an additional year during the corona crisis and the United States’ step, in the same period, to issue the so-called “Caesar Act “, moved the partner states in the war on Syria to a new stage of economic terrorism which aims to hinder the Syrian government’s efforts of reconstruction, stability and providing the conditions for the return of the displaced Syrians inside and abroad.
Upon an initiative by Syria, several UN member countries called on the Human Rights Council to exert pressure on the states that resort to imposing unilateral, coercive measures and oblige them respond to international appeals and the High Commissioner for Human Rights to lift these illegal measures in order to enable the targeted countries face coronavirus pandemic.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Ala, in a statement, by the names of a group of states, including Russia, China, Iran and others, warned against the negative impacts of the coercive measures, financial and economic sanctions and their violation of the basic rights of citizens of the targeted countries in light of COVID 19 pandemic.
The statement affirmed that the restrictions imposed on securing humanitarian needs and basic materials, like medical equipment and food, contradict international law and conventions relevant to human rights.
Ambassador Ala described US and European allegations about the existence of “humanitarian exceptions” regarding the sanctions as nothing but mere pretext to cover up the immoral measures that target the livelihood conditions of the Syrians and affect the work of humanitarian organizations and agencies operating inside Syria.
The ambassador called on the Human Rights’ Council to hold countries involved in imposing unilateral coercive measures the moral and legal responsibility resulting from their impacts.
Manar/ Bushra/Mazen
