Fri Jan 17 18:29:02 UTC 2025: ## ICC Chief Visits Syria to Discuss Accountability for War Crimes

**DAMASCUS** – International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan made a surprise visit to Damascus on Friday, meeting with the leader of Syria’s new de facto government, Ahmad al-Sharaa, and the foreign minister. The purpose of the visit, according to Khan’s office, was to explore how the ICC can assist Syrian authorities in achieving accountability for alleged war crimes committed during the country’s 13-year conflict.

Khan’s trip follows a recent visit by the UN’s International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism for Syria (IIIM), which is already gathering evidence for potential prosecutions. The ICC, however, lacks jurisdiction over Syria, as the country is not a member and previous attempts to refer the situation to the court via the UN Security Council have been vetoed by Russia and China.

The visit comes after a dramatic power shift in Syria, with opposition fighters led by al-Sharaa’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group seizing control from Bashar al-Assad’s regime last month. Al-Assad, who fled to Russia, is accused of widespread human rights abuses, including the disappearance and likely murder of tens of thousands of opponents. The Syrian government is also implicated in multiple chemical weapons attacks on civilians, confirmed by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Various armed groups have also been accused of war crimes during the conflict, which has claimed over half a million lives and displaced millions more.

The new authorities in Syria have called for members of al-Assad’s regime to face justice, although the practical mechanisms for achieving this through the ICC remain unclear. Khan’s discussions aimed to explore potential avenues for cooperation and accountability, even without formal ICC jurisdiction over Syria. The ICC’s involvement would require a significant shift in the international political landscape surrounding the Syrian conflict.

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