At least 1,271 civilians, including 229 children and 104 victims of torture were killed in Syria in 2021 alone.

Qatar has renewed its support for international efforts aimed at achieving “comprehensive justice” for the people of Syria, as they marked the 12th anniversary of the revolution on Wednesday.

In a statement, Qatar’s foreign ministry said the remarks came during the virtual participation of Doha’s Assistant Foreign Minister for Regional Affairs Dr. Mohammed Al Khulaifi at an event organised by the United States in cooperation with Syrian Network for Human Rights.

The event also saw high-level participation from the Netherlands and Germany. 

During the event, Dr. Al Khulaifi expressed Qatar’s concern over the human rights situation for the past years and the deterioration of the situation following the deadly 6 February earthquakes.

The earthquakes, which struck Turkey and Syria, were the worst the area has witnessed in a century, where almost 50,000 people were killed.

In the wake of the crisis, Qatar immediately mobilised aid to both areas through an air bridge that accompanied its search and rescue team from the Lekhwiya.

“He said that the difficult situation experienced by the Syrians has resulted in the displacement of millions of refugees around the world, the detention and torture of thousands, the destruction of cities and the demolition of buildings,” the statement read.

The Qatari official renewed the Gulf state’s stance in supporting investigations into crimes committed against Syrians since the 2011 revolution, widely known as the Arab Spring.

“Qatar is the main sponsor of the international, impartial and independent mechanism to assist in the investigation and prosecution of persons responsible for the most serious crimes, according to the classification of international law committed in the Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011,” the statement added.

The Gulf state has long called for a political resolution in Syria while refusing to normalise with the Bashar Al Assad regime over its ongoing crimes.

Revolution anniversary

The remarks coincided with the 12-year mark of the Syrian peaceful protests over corruption, injustice, dictatorship and a worsening economic situation. 

The protests turned violent when the Syrian regime opened fire on peaceful demonstrators, plunging the country into more than a decade of war with the backing of Russia and Iran.

At the height of the protests, Qatar shut down its embassy in Syria whilst the Arab League suspended the country’s membership from the bloc due to Assad’s ongoing war crimes against civilians.

The Gulf state was also the first to establish an embassy for the Syrian opposition. 

Regional shifts have appeared since last year as more countries move to restore ties with the Syrian regime, namely the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.

Since the revolution, the Assad regime has continued to commit massacres against the people of Syria with increasingly more reports exposing the use of chemical weapons against civilians.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) said that at least 1,271 civilians, including 229 children, and 104 victims of torture were killed in Syria in 2021 alone.

The Assad regime caused a refugee crisis, with millions of Syrians unable to return back to the country in fear of torture, forced disappearance or detainment.

According to the United Nations, there are 5,424,773 registered refugees scattered in neighbouring countries.

The Zaatari camp in Jordan was opened in 2012 after 450 Syrians fleeing violence crossed over the border and into the country.

A year later, the camp’s population reached 120,000 and has since become a stark reminder of the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis.

UN figures state that more than 20,000 births have been recorded in the camp, equating to at least 40 babies being born every week.