New horrific surprises triggered by the Syrian “grave digger” before the US Senate yesterday. After his testimony he gave before the “War Crimes Court in Syria” in the city of Koblenz, western Germany, to try Former intelligence officer, “Anwar Raslan” Which convicted him months ago of committing humanitarian crimes, the witness King “the grave digger” (pseudonym) came before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which devoted a session to discuss the policy of President Joe Biden’s administration towards Syria, talking about horrific details of crimes committed by the Syrian regime against thousands of civilians, Including the dumping of thousands of bodies in mass graves, including children tortured to death.
Moaz al-Khatib, Executive Director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, confirmed in statements to “Al-Arabiya.net” that the members of the Senate were shocked by the details of the “grave diggers” about the incident. system crimes
Refrigerated trucks transporting dead bodies
He said that the grave digger spoke of 3 refrigerated trucks, each carrying between 300 and 600 bodies, that came twice a week from all security branches and military hospitals in Damascus.
He also explained, “They were tortured to death, and it was “Officer Caesar” (It is a pseudonym for a former photographer in the Military Police who defected from the regime in 2013, carrying with him 55,000 photos showing torture and violations in Syrian prisons) He documents photos of their bodies, then refrigerated trucks come to transport them to a giant pit, where the “grave digger” was present, and then unloads them randomly. .
Caesar photos (archive – AFP)
Perhaps shocking is that among those bodies, dozens of children who died under torture, according to what American media outlets also quoted from the witness.
Al-Khatib pointed out that “more than 6000 bodies, some bearing traces of torture, documented by “Caesar” after fleeing Syria in 2013, were buried in mass graves witnessed by this gravedigger, explaining that the latter’s testimony was a continuation of that of “Caesar”.
Lebanese and American detainees
He said, “We are working to document the crimes of the Syrian regime and submit them to European and American courts, especially since there are Syrian, Lebanese and American detainees in the regime’s prisons. We seek to bring their cases before the International Criminal Courts, to achieve justice for them and hold the regime accountable for what it has done and is doing against them.”
Caesar’s punishments continue
In addition to the testimony of the “grave digger”, the file of the energy sector in Lebanon was present at the meeting table of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee from the gate of Caesar’s Law. And the US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Barbara Leaf, announced that “the United States has not yet taken any decision to lift sanctions, or any exceptions related to sanctions against Syria, regarding the transfer of Egyptian gas to Lebanon, because these countries have not signed any contracts yet.” .
In the context, Moaz Al-Khatib said, “There is consensus between members of the Republican and Democratic parties not to allow any country to violate the “Caesar’s Law” and to circumvent it in order to extend a helping hand to the Syrian regime, which is killing Syrian civilians, including the Lebanese, and there are other solutions to the energy problem in Lebanon that can be solved. You find a way for it, but not by re-floating the Assad regime.”
Syrian grave digger
No normalization with the Syrian regime
He also added, “There is great pressure on the US administration from members of the Republican and Democratic parties to continue the effects of the sanctions, and that the Egyptian gas or Jordanian electricity agreements to provide Lebanon with electric power do not constitute an entry point for normalization with the Syrian regime, and the testimony of the “grave digger” about the Assad regime’s violations will contribute to increasing these Pressure on the administration of President Joe Biden and the application of “Caesar sanctions” strictly.
He explained, “So far, no energy contracts have been signed between Lebanon and regional countries, and we seek to help the Lebanese people solve the energy crisis without going through the criminal Syrian regime.”
It is noteworthy that the “grave digger” had assumed the task of burying the bodies of the dead under torture in mass graves between 2011 and early 2018, and was able to leave the country later, to testify before the courts in disguise, hiding his face behind a mask because of the presence of some members of his family in Syria.
During the 11 years of the revolution, human rights groups and regime defectors have documented widespread killings of civilians by security forces, as they sought to stamp out any opposition to Bashar al-Assad.