Damascus:Syria announced that 18 suspects, including senior officers, have been detained and are facing a specialized court for their involvement in chemical attacks during the regime of former leader Bashar al-Assad.
According to Anadolu Agency, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani shared this information during a joint news conference in Damascus with Sabrina Dallafior, director-general of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Al-Shaibani stated that Syria has provided the OPCW with over 100,000 official documents and allowed access to records and witnesses to aid in resolving the chemical weapons issues.
In June, Syria revised its chemical weapons declaration, adding a production facility, two storage facilities, and munitions that were previously undisclosed. This effort culminated in August with the OPCW-supervised destruction of 42 declared chemical aerial bombs, marking the first verified destruction on Syrian land since 2014. Syria regained its full rights within the OPCW on July 9, and current discussions focus on closing the chemical weapons file.
Al-Shaibani emphasized the importance of justice for victims and preventing future attacks, noting that the detained suspects are appearing in court. He acknowledged ongoing challenges, such as mines and damaged sites, which complicate efforts to fully understand the former regime's chemical weapons program.
Sabrina Dallafior highlighted the priority of addressing remnants of the Assad-era chemical weapons for non-proliferation purposes. She praised the destruction of chemical weapons in July as a significant achievement of multilateral cooperation and stressed the continued investigation into past chemical attacks to prevent their recurrence.
Syria joined the Chemical Weapons Convention in 2013, following a chemical attack in Eastern Ghouta. In 2021, Syria's OPCW voting rights were suspended due to unresolved issues with chemical weapon declarations. After the Assad regime's fall in December 2024, the new authorities committed to full cooperation with the OPCW. The restoration of Syria's OPCW rights on July 9 followed increased collaboration with the chemical weapons watchdog.