Syrian regime is falsely linking the demand for lifting of sanctions to the fight against COVID-19
Istanbul, 22 March 2020 — The Syrian regime has launched a political and media campaign calling for the lifting of economic sanctions against it, claiming this is needed to cope with the spread of the COVID-19 virus in its areas of control.
Syrian Civil Defence (White Helmets) and the Syrian Association for Citizens’ Dignity (SACD) are astounded by these demands and allegations, and warn the international community and the key countries of influence against entertaining such demands for the following reasons:
• The health sector is excluded from the economic sanctions imposed on the Syrian regime.
• The Syrian regime has so far denied the existence of any cases of COVID-19 in areas it controls, and has arrested several Syrian doctors who reported cases of COVID-19 infections in Damascus.
• The Syrian regime did not take any attainable measures to prevent the spread of the virus, and began some superficial measures very late and without a genuine policy for raising awareness amongst the population.
• The regime — through an official in the Ministry of Health — stated that there are no cases of COVID-19 virus in Syria, and that world governments are asking the regime for help and advice to confront the virus. This is yet another example of a complete dissociation from the reality and an irresponsible and reckless attitude towards public health and the lives of Syrian citizens.
• Experience has shown that any economic aid provided to the Syrian regime will be used to support the regime itself and its networks of corruption. If the medical aid is not administered directly to the people, it will never reach Syrians for whom it is intended.
• Lastly, the regime has a far too atrocious record of targeting and destroying hospitals and killing medical personnel to be trusted to act out of genuine concern for the health of Syrians.
All these points indicate that the Syrian regime is not concerned with the fate of the Syrians and their health, and any aid that is sent to the regime for distribution in areas it controls, that is not purely in the form of medical supplies, is likely to be invested in more killing, repression and depriving the Syrians of the most basic elements of a dignity and healthy life.
In the interest of the safety and health of the citizens anywhere in Syria, we ask the World Health Organization (WHO) in Syria to reject the false figures promoted by the Syrian regime about the number of cases of COVID-19 virus, and to pressure the Syrian regime to take the necessary measures to prevent and slow down the spread of the virus and provide the necessary treatment for citizens.
We also demand that United Nations and international organizations working with the regime to secure permission to enter prisons controlled by the regime, to examine the situation of prisoners regarding COVID-19 and provide the necessary treatment, as there are real concerns that prisoners will be executed or left to their fate under the pretext of virus infection.
