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COMMENT BY THE INFORMATION AND PRESS DEPARTMENT OF THE RUSSIAN MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS REGARDING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SITUATION IN THE NORTH OF SYRIA
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
April 3 2014
Moscow
The attention of the international community and human rights
organisations has been focused on the situation in Kasab, in the
north-west of Syria, on the border with Turkey, about 65 km from
Latakia, for several days now.
According to incoming data, the region around the City of Kasab, where
Armenians have been living in a close-knit community for ages since
the times of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, was cruelly attacked
by the al-Qaeda linked extremist groupings Jabhat al-Nusra and Ahrar
al-Sham numbering several thousand people. At the same time, it
should be noted that there were no military objects in the historical
Armenian enclave, which was cracked down upon by an international
gang of killers and rapists. The only guilt of the 700 families,
who were forced to leave their homes escaping jihadist persecution,
was their loyalty to the SAR Government. Currently these people have
found asylum with their relatives and in Latakia's temples belonging
to various Christian sects.
As to the video material on YouTube, this crime does not become any
less terrible, even if (as some sources affirm) it does not show the
execution of Armenians in Kasab, but rather a ruthless reprisal of
the militants against soldiers of the Syrian Army.
We decisively condemn the atrocities by extremists in Syria. We
believe that the implementation of the task set at the G8 summit in
Lough Erne, to ensure the consolidation of the efforts of the Syrian
Government and the opposition to eradicate terrorism from the Syrian
land, and defeat and expelextremists, becomes especially topical in the
current conditions. Any run-arounds, the goal of which is to "postpone"
practical steps in this direction until a "transitional governing body"
is formed in Syria, or, the attempts to justify crimes of terrorists,
are absolutely unacceptable. We must act immediately.
The UNSC must discuss the situation in Kasab and give a principled
assessment of these events.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
April 3 2014
Moscow
The attention of the international community and human rights
organisations has been focused on the situation in Kasab, in the
north-west of Syria, on the border with Turkey, about 65 km from
Latakia, for several days now.
According to incoming data, the region around the City of Kasab, where
Armenians have been living in a close-knit community for ages since
the times of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, was cruelly attacked
by the al-Qaeda linked extremist groupings Jabhat al-Nusra and Ahrar
al-Sham numbering several thousand people. At the same time, it
should be noted that there were no military objects in the historical
Armenian enclave, which was cracked down upon by an international
gang of killers and rapists. The only guilt of the 700 families,
who were forced to leave their homes escaping jihadist persecution,
was their loyalty to the SAR Government. Currently these people have
found asylum with their relatives and in Latakia's temples belonging
to various Christian sects.
As to the video material on YouTube, this crime does not become any
less terrible, even if (as some sources affirm) it does not show the
execution of Armenians in Kasab, but rather a ruthless reprisal of
the militants against soldiers of the Syrian Army.
We decisively condemn the atrocities by extremists in Syria. We
believe that the implementation of the task set at the G8 summit in
Lough Erne, to ensure the consolidation of the efforts of the Syrian
Government and the opposition to eradicate terrorism from the Syrian
land, and defeat and expelextremists, becomes especially topical in the
current conditions. Any run-arounds, the goal of which is to "postpone"
practical steps in this direction until a "transitional governing body"
is formed in Syria, or, the attempts to justify crimes of terrorists,
are absolutely unacceptable. We must act immediately.
The UNSC must discuss the situation in Kasab and give a principled
assessment of these events.