For the first time in 8 years, the UN gained access to investigate crimes in Syria

A UN organization helping to investigate the worst crimes in Syria said on Monday that the country's new government was “very receptive” to its request for cooperation during a just-completed visit to Damascus. The UN investigation team is preparing to deploy a mission to the region. This was reported by UNN with reference to Associated Press.

 The visit to Damascus, led by Robert Petit, the head of the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism for Syria, was the first since the organization was established by the UN General Assembly in 2016. It was established to help gather evidence and bring to justice those responsible for alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011.

Petit emphasized the urgency of preserving documents and other evidence before they are lost.

After the insurgent overthrow of the Bashar al-Assad regime and the opening of prisons and detention centers by the rebels, Syrians are increasingly demanding that those responsible for the atrocities and murders committed during his time in power be held accountable;

A spokesperson for the organization known as IIIM, who was on the trip with Petty, told the Associated Press that they are preparing to deploy to Syria: “We are preparing to deploy in anticipation of receiving authorization,” the spokesman said.

“Representatives of the interim authorities have been very receptive to our request for cooperation and are aware of the scale of the task ahead of us,” the spokesperson added on condition of anonymity.

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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to establish contacts with the new Syrian government.  Ukraine is ready to support food security in Syria