Since opposition forces to control of significant parts of Aleppo city in July
2012, the city has been divided into one
Northwestern part controlled by government forces
and one Southeastern part controlled by opposition forces.
On the 29th of January this year
local residents suddenly discovered dozens of dead bodies floating down
the Queiq River, the river running through Aleppo city from
North to South.
"On the morning of January 29th
we came across 87 bodies.
And then after that we would find one or two corpses every day.
During several trips to
Aleppo city Human Rights Watch investigated these deaths.
We interviewed eighteen families of the victims, witnesses and local
forensic experts who have examined most of the bodies. We visited the site where
the bodies were found and we reviewed more than 350
photographs and video clips of the dead bodies.
While we're not able to confirm
the number of victims given by local activists we counted 147
bodies in the photographs and in the video clips,
All of the victims were male and the vast majority were between 20 and
40 years old,
but there were some as young as 11 and some as old as 64.
The families of the victims told us that the victims had not been actively
involved with the Free Syrian Army or any other opposition group
and not even in many cases participated in anti-government demonstrations.
In fact, most of the victims that we documented seem to have
been merchants who had to cross the dividing line
either because they worked in one part of the city and lived in another or
because they had to cross the dividing line to purchase supplies for their
business.
When he left for the government area he went by
foot or he took a car or a taxi, how did he go there?
He walked.
He went downtown to have some [phone] chargers repaired and to buy some clothes.
Did he go there regularly?
Yes he did.
Human Rights Watch's investigation shows that most of the victims found
in the river bore clear signs of executions.
"Their hands were tied
behind their backs with tape
and their legs were as well.
Tape was wrapped
around their mouths and eyes
and their bodies had marks of torture.
The skulls--many of them were empty.
Some had gunshots to the heart
which came out of their backs."
We have not been able to conclusively establish who
executed these people, but all the information we have gathered
indicate that these executions took place in the government-controlled part
of the city.
The bridge where the bodies were
found was located just south of the dividing line
and witnesses told us that
the bodies came
floating down the river from the government controlled
part of the city.
The unanswered questions
in this case as to who exactly executed these people and why once again emphasized
the need
for a proper international investigation.
The United Nations Security Council should immediately refer Syria to
the International Criminal Court
and should demand that the Syrian government give
the UN Commission of Inquiry access to the country to conduct investigations
so that those responsible can be held to account.