Joint appeal 88 Of the bodies and organizations defending human rights To stop the bloodshed in the Syrian streets To stop all forms and sources of bloody armed violence To stop all assassinations, abductions, and enforced disappearances
We in the bodies and organizations defending human rights and civil society, look with deep concern, condemnation,
and denunciation of the dangerous and frightening developments in Syria, in light of the continued bleeding, the escalation of the situation of destructive and dangerous attrition violence to the structure of the Syrian society and its components. The absence of political solutions, the difficulty of military decision in favor of one of the parties due to military, political, regional, and international balances and their role in conflict management and control, brought with them a state of serious concern for the fate of Syria’s geography and society, and horror of real destruction and shredding of the social fabric’s unity, with a possibility of taking the effects of this tragedy toward a devastating regional war.
The bloody conflict in Syria resulted in massive destruction of infrastructure and public and private property, the fragmentation of communities, the demolition of houses, shops, schools, hospitals and government buildings, the destruction of water, electricity and sanitation, thousands killed and wounded, and led to the displacement and escape to seek refuge of more than six million, including more than a million refugees fled to neighboring countries, in addition to the thousands of detainees and forcibly disappeared.
In spite of the of local, regional and international entanglements and complications that control the Syrian crisis, we still believe that a political solution is the only way out of the violent impasse. We also consider the Geneva Declaration acceptable base for such a solution, through an international consensus allows a binding international resolution under Chapter VI of the Charter of the United Nations. This decision includes an immediate cease-fire in the entire geography of Syria, a development of mechanisms for monitoring and verification, an embargo on arms, and initiating a political process by calling for a national conference attended by all the representatives of political, youth, and women movements under regional and international auspices. This would lead to the development of a national charter for future Syria and the declaration of constitutional principles, agree on the transitional arrangements, and move towards a democratic system based on elections held in accordance with international standards for free and fair elections.
We in the bodies and organizations to defend human rights and civil society in the Arab region, as we announce our full solidarity with the families of the victims, our hearty and warm condolences for the people hurt of the Syrian citizens of civilians, police, and army, and we wish all the injured a speedy recovery, and condemn all practices of violence, killings, assassinations, and forced disappearances, whatever their sources and their justification. We also call on all concerned regional and international parties to assume their responsibilities towards the people of Syria and the future of the region as a whole, and demand them to work seriously and quickly to reach a peaceful political solution to the Syrian crisis and stop the bloodshed and destruction. We call on all parties, governmental and non-governmental, to work on:
1. An immediate end to the cycle of violence, murder and bloodshed in the Syrian streets, whatever the sources of this violence, whatever its forms and justifications, and in particular to stop the entry of foreign weapons from any party and for any party.
2. Releasing all political prisoners, and all those arrested because of their participation in peaceful gatherings that swept various Syrian cities, unless they are charged with a recognizable criminal offense and brought promptly to trial where fair trial standards are available.
3. Quick action for the release of all abductees whoever is behind them.
4. Immediate disclosure about the fate of the missing, after the spread of enforced disappearance phenomenon, which led to the emergence of a very big file about the Syrians missing.
5. Forming a judicial commission of inquiry, independent, impartial, fair, and transparent with the participation of representatives from organizations defending human rights in Syria, disclose the people behind the violence, and those responsible for the casualties (killed and wounded), whether governmental or non-governmental, and bring them to justice and hold them accountable.
6. Working to achieve transitional justice by ensuring justice and fairness to all victims of the events in Syria, and uphold the principle of accountability and no impunity, since it means the base for sound methods to achieve national reconciliation, and for the unity, pluralism, and democracy of future Syria, which requires follow-up and prosecution of all perpetrators of violations, whether governmental or non-governmental, violations that may elevate to the level of crimes against humanity, and referring to the perpetrators to national and international courts.
7. Supporting plans and projects that aim to manage the transitional phase in Syria and allocating resources to support the projects of reconstruction and development and intensifying projects and training workshops designed to train Syrian political leaders on the process and practice of democracy and help them to incorporate the concepts and principles of transitional justice and national reconciliation in the political life in future Syria on the basis of national unity and non-discrimination between the Syrians for religious, sectarian, national origin, sex, color, or any other reason and thus ensure the rights of the society components and the abolition of all discriminatory policies and remove their effects and ensure their political participation evenly.
8. Supporting efforts to find a democratic and just solution for the Kurdish issue in Syria as it is a national democratic issue on the basis of constitutional recognition of the rights of the legitimate national of the Kurdish people, lifting the injustice off its shoulders and the abolishing all discriminatory policies and their results and compensating those affected them within the framework of the unity of Syria’s land and people , and this applies to all other components who suffered from discriminatory policies to varying degrees.
9. Meeting life, economic, and humanitarian needs of the affected cities and those of the displaced both inside and outside the country and provide all the necessary supplies.
10. The relevant organizations and bodies to defend the values of citizenship and human rights in Syria, by using safe ways and devise proper ways that contribute to deploy and install the values of citizenship and tolerance between the Syrians of different affiliations and persuasions, to serve as true collateral for the maintenance of the unity of the Syrian society and to ensure a democratic future safe for all its citizens equally without any exception.
The name of human rights organizations signed
1.Network Iraqi human rights organizations (including 53 human rights organizations) / Iraq
2.Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations’ Network (including more than 95 organizations) / Palestin
3.National Civil Forum (including more than 50 organizations) / Sudan
4.Jordanian Network for civil society organizations (including 16 organizations) / Jordan.
5.Election Network in the Arab Region (including 23 organizations)
6.Maat for Peace, Development, and Human Rights / Egypt
7.Algerian League for the Defense of Human Rights / Algeria
8.Yemen Organization for Defending Rights and Democratic Freedoms / Yemen
9.Committees for the Defense of Democratic Liberties and Human Rights in Syria
10.Al-Khiam Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture/ Lebanon
11.Amman Center for Human Rights Studies [ACHRS] / Jordan
12.Venus Organization for Iraqi women / Iraq
13.Aman Network for Rehabilitation and Defending Human Rights/ Lebanon
14.Human Rights and Democracy Media Centers SHAMS/ Palestine
15.Bahrain Transparency Society / Bahrain
16.National Organization for Combat of Human Trafficking / Yemen
17.Kurdish Committee for Human Rights in Syria (observer) / Syria
18.National Organization for Human Rights in Syria
19.Human Rights Organization in Syria – MAF / Syria
20.The Arab Organization for Human Rights in Syria
21.Kurdish Organization for the Defense of Human Rights and Public Freedoms in Syria ) DAD(
22.Amman Forum Society for Human Rights / Jordan
23.The Arab Organization for Human Rights in Jordan
24.Sudanese Development Call Organization (NIDAA) / Sudan
25.Syrian platform for NGOs (SPNGO ) / Syria
26.Syrian Kurdish Centre for Documentation / Syria
27.Syrian Coalition Against the Death Penalty (SCODP) / Syria
28.National Coordination for the Defense of missing in Syria
29.Syrian Jurists Association for transitional justice and the rule of law/ Syria
30.Syrian Center for Transitional Justice and enabled democracy / Syria
31.Syrian Center for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and Torture / Syria
32.Syrian National Center for Democracy and Human Development / Syria
33.National Center for the Study of Tolerance and Anti–Violence in Syria
34.Defend for prisoners of conscience in Syria – Rwankh
35.Syrian Center for Human Rights
36.Ebla Center for the Study of transitional justice and democracy in Syria
37.Syrian Center for Civil Society and Human Rights Studies
38.National Rally for women’s and children’s rights/Syria
39.A Kscane organization for environmental protection/Syria
40.Syrian Association for the freedom and fairness
41.Syrian Center for Human Rights Education
42.Arab Women Organization/ Jordan
43.Bahrain Women Society
44.Federation of the Democratic League for Women’s Rights/Morocco
45.Center for Environmental and Social/Yemen
46.Yemeni Coalition Against the Death Penalty
47.Middle East Foundation for Development/Yemen
48.Adaleh Organization for human rights and freedoms/Yemen
49.Yamani Foundation and proud of Rights and Freedoms
50.Almasar Foundation/ Yemen
51.Moroccan Organization for Human Rights
52.Karama foundation /Egypt
53.Center for Civil Rights and Democracy/Yemen
54.Human Rights Organization in Iraq (London 1982)/Iraq
55.Alkelmeh Center for Human Rights/Egypt
56.Damascus Center for Theoretical and Civil Rights / Sweden
57.Arab Commission for Human Rights / Paris
58.Horan Forum for Citizenship/Syria
59.Scandinavian Institute for Human Rights
60.Protection of human rights defenders in the Arab world
61.The Association of rehabilitation of prisoners in Tunisia
62.Palestinians Journalists Syndicate
63.Change makers World/Yemen
64.Bahrain Society for Human Rights
65.Allo’loa Center for Human Rights/Bahrain
66.National Observatory for Human voter / Morocco
67.Moroccan League for the Defense of Human Rights / Morocco
68.Bahrain Forum for Human Rights
69.Jerusalem Center for legal aid and Human Rights/Palestine
70.Palestinian Center for Peace and Democracy issues/Palestine
71.Arab Coalition Against the Death Penalty.
72.Arab Network for Human Rights Trainers.
73.Egyptian Coalition Against the Death Penalty.
74.Hammurabi Organization for Monitoring Human Rights and Democracy / Iraq
75.AL-Rafidain Center for Ensuring Human Rights / Iraq
76.The Palestinian Society for Human Rights (Monitor) / Lebanon
77.Iraqi Alliance Against the Death Penalty/ Iraq
78.Arab Network for Human Rights Trainers.
79.Aljthour Society for Citizens‘ Rights/ Jordan
80.Mauritanian Association for the Promotion Rights / Mauritania
81.Arab–European Center for Human Rights and International Law/ Norway
82.Syrian Coalition for ICC/Norway.
83.Protection Center to support Human Rights Defenders/Egypt.
84.Impulse Center to support Democracy and against corruption/Egypt.
85.Bahrain Center for Human Rights Studies
86.URUK INDEPENDENT ORGANIZATION FOR MEDIA/Iraq
87.Adaleh Center for Human Rights/Saudi Arabia.
88.International Center to support the rights and freedoms / Egypt
Damascus 9 \ 5 \ 2013
