Canada, Netherlands take Syria to UN’s top court, call to halt ‘torture’
Syria boycotted a hearing at the United Nations’ top court on Tuesday where the Netherlands and Canada accused Damascus of a years-long campaign of “institutionalized” torture against its own people.
The hearing was focused on a preliminary Dutch and Canadian request for the court to impose orders – known as provisional measures – on Syria to halt torture immediately to protect potential victims while their case accusing Damascus of breaching the torture convention proceeds through the International Court of Justice.
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Orders by the court are legally binding, but are not always adhered to by countries involved in proceedings. Last year, the judges issued such an order in another case calling on Moscow to cease hostilities in Ukraine.
Canada and the Netherlands are accusing Assad’s administration of breaching the United Nations Convention Against Torture and argue that the convention’s conflict resolution mechanism gives the Hague-based court jurisdiction to hear the case.
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The war in Syria has so far killed half a million people, wounded hundreds of thousands and destroyed many parts of the country. It has displaced half of Syria’s prewar population of 23 million, including more than 5 million who are refugees outside Syria.
