Top EU diplomats visit Syria, tour Assad regime’s notorious Saydnaya prison, call for inclusive leadership

Damascus High-ranking French and German diplomats announced today, Friday, during their visit to Damascus to meet with the new President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, that the European Union supports a peaceful and comprehensive transition process in Syria.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock headed to the Syrian capital to hold talks on behalf of the European Union, in the highest visit by major Western powers since the emergence of Islamist-led forces. The overthrow of long-time President Bashar al-Assad last month.

One of their first stops was the notorious Sednaya prison, not far from the capital.

Accompanied by White Helmet rescuers, Barrow and Berbock toured the cells and underground dungeons of Saydnaya, which for decades has been a chilling symbol of atrocities committed against Assad’s opponents.

The prison was the site of extrajudicial executions, torture and enforced disappearances. One rights group said more than 4,000 people were released from the detention center when rebel forces seized Damascus on December 8. Countless other prisoners – both criminals and opponents of Assad – have disappeared after being held there.

In 2017, the US State Department said that the Assad regime was using the Saydnaya crematorium to dispose of bodies in… Attempting to “cover up” mass murders He was going there.

“Fragile hope” for a “stable and peaceful” Syria.

Al-Sharaa, the leader of the Islamic Headquarters for the Liberation of Al-Sham, led the attack that ousted Assad. The interim authorities, dominated by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, now face the daunting task of rebuilding state institutions, with growing calls to ensure a comprehensive transition and guarantee the rights of minorities.

In Damascus, Barrow expressed his hope that Syria would be “sovereign, stable and peaceful.”

He added that it was also “a hope that the aspirations of all Syrians can be achieved, but it is a fragile hope.”

Baerbock said in a statement that Germany wants to help Syria become a “safe homeland” for all its people and “a functioning state with full control over its territory.”

She said that the visit was a “clear signal” to Damascus about the possibility of establishing a new relationship between Syria, Germany and Europe on a broader scale.

The closed meeting held by European diplomats with Al-Sharaa on Friday lasted about an hour and a half, after which they did not make official statements to journalists.

Earlier, Barrow said in a post on the X website: “France and Germany stand together with the Syrian people in all their diversity.”

He added that the two European powers want to promote a “peaceful transition” to a new government in the country.

Despite “skepticism” about Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham – which was once the Syrian branch of Al Qaeda and is still designated as a terrorist organization by the US and many other governments – Baerbock said that “we must not miss the opportunity to support the Syrian people at this important crossroads.” . “.

Al-Sharaa has distanced himself and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham from al-Qaeda in recent years, and the group’s public statements have suggested plans to respect Syria’s myriad religious groups.

After Assad fled to Russia, the Biden administration said that the United States could recognize a new Syrian government under certain conditions. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the new leadership and transition process must ensure the protection of Syrian minorities, the flow of humanitarian aid into the country, prevent Syria from being used as a base for terrorist organizations, and help ensure the use of any chemicals or chemicals. Biological weapons are secured and destroyed.

Baerbock said on Friday that Berlin was ready to support a “comprehensive and peaceful transition of power” as well as social “reconciliation” in Syria.

It also asked the new regime to avoid “acts of reprisal against groups of the population,” to avoid long delays before elections, and to avoid any attempts to “Islamize” the judicial and educational systems.

Since Assad’s ouster, a group of foreign envoys have traveled to Damascus to meet the country’s new leaders. France and Germany had already sent lower-level delegations last month.

At the beginning of his visit, Barrow met with representatives of Christian communities in Syria. Diplomatic sources said that Barrow told Christian leaders that France is committed to a pluralistic Syria that enjoys equal rights for all, including minorities.

Syria’s civil war – which began in 2011 with the Assad government’s brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protests – saw Germany, France and a host of other countries close their diplomatic missions in Damascus.

The conflict has killed more than 500,000 people, displaced millions, and left Syria fragmented and devastated.

The new authorities called for lifting sanctions imposed on Syria during the Assad era to allow for reconstruction.

Paris is scheduled to host an international summit on Syria later this month, after a similar meeting in December in Jordan.