Victims of chemical weapons attacks by the overthrown Baathist regime forces gathered in the Syrian capital of Damascus on Tuesday to demand that those responsible for "chemical massacres" be held accountable.
The demonstrators gathered in Damascus' Umayyad Square, carrying banners that read, "Those who committed chemical massacres are the same as the murderers responsible for mass graves," and "There will be no social peace without accountability."
Mohamad Salim Awwada, one of the activists participating in the demonstration, told Anadolu that they gathered to draw attention to the chemical weapons attacks carried out by the ousted regime forces.
"Chemical weapons attacks are a crime against humanity and cannot be forgiven," Awwada stressed, adding that amnesty and social peace do not mean forgetting the massacres.
Avvada emphasized that the majority of the demonstrators are those who have lost family members or children and are seeking justice. "Therefore, it is their right to demand that the criminals be tried and justice be served."
Wasim Arslan, who arrived in Syria from the Netherlands following the fall of the Baath regime, said he is at Umayyad Square to support the demand for justice for the chemical weapons attack victims.
Criminals should be tried and justice must be served as the victims and their loved ones have been waiting for so long, Arslan said, adding that Syria should join the international community in the new era.
Bashar Assad, Syria's leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party's decades-long regime.
