Lavrov Rejects Report On Idlib War Crimes By Russia, Syrian Gov't As Biased, Illegitimate

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th July, 2020) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday dismissed the report from the Independent Commission of Inquiry on Syria that accused Russia and Damascus of war crimes in Idlib.

The report was published on Tuesday at the behest of the UN Human Rights Council and claimed that in addition to a slew of rights abuses perpetrated by terrorist organizations on the ground, civilian facilities in Idlib were also subjected to airstrikes by Syrian government forces and Russian forces in the country.

According to Lavrov, the commission is one of many biased organizations that were formed by western powers that are opposed to the Syrian government.

"The commission was not established by consensus, its mandate raises many questions, as do its working methods. The decision to establish the commission was pushed, first of all, by western countries that have taken the course of regime change in Syria, they do not hide it, and by voting in the UN Human Rights Council a mechanism was formed with the stated purpose - to seek dirt on Damascus and on those whom they call allies of Damascus," Lavrov said.

Speaking to reporters following a virtual meeting with his counterparts from the African Union troika of Egypt, South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lavrov said that the commission never visited Idlib.

"This commission has never been to Idlib, just as many structures from the western NGOs, in order to collect data that would somehow denigrate the actions of the Syrian government," Lavrov said.

Idlib is the last Syrian region beyond the government's control and has become a melting pot of all remaining anti-government groups, including those designated as terrorist groups. The region is primarily administered by the Turkish military.