The United Kingdom’s police department began an investigation into accusations that Asma al-Assad, wife of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, encouraged “terrorist” acts in Syria. Being a dual British-Syrian national, she could be stripped of her UK citizenship if condemned of the crime, rendering to media reports.
The illustration against al-Assad was presented by Guernica 37, a war-focused international justice law firm that also works with “transnational litigation involving the enforcement of fundamental human rights protection”. “This is an important step in holding senior political officials accountable for their acts and ensuring that a state, through an independent and impartial legal process, takes responsibility for the acts of its own nationals,” Guernica 37 announced on its website. “As she is a British national, it is important that she faces prosecution if the evidence supports the allegation and not merely stripped of her citizenship. This is an important process, and it is only right that justice is served before an English court.” They added.
Toby Cadman, founder of Guernica 37, told that the al-Assad’s wife had allegedly partaken in crimes. “What she is suspected of doing is having incited acts that have resulted in death in Syria. Meeting with troops, making public statements, glorifying conduct of the army that has resulted in half a million deaths and the use of chemical and other forms of banned weapons. It is not just that she is the wife of Bashar al-Assad, our allegations are she has actively campaigned and actively participated in those crimes and so she must face justice,” he held.
“It could result in the stripping of her citizenship. We, of course, don’t want that to happen, we want her to face trial.” he further stated.
Asma Al-Assad, a banker by job, has been a voiced devotee of the al-Assad government in its drive to crush dissent since the Arab Spring uprisings 10 years ago.
The conflict in Syria has caused more than 500,000 death and the dislocation of millions, leaving the country frayed into rival areas controlled by different groups supported by domestic or international actors.
