Assad must be punished for Syria war crimes

How many more atrocities committed by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on its own people will go unpunished? What will it take for Syria’s allies to say ‘enough is enough’ and international community to act decisively against the brutality of Assad regime? Syrian president has carried out worst atrocities — widespread kidnappings, torture, barrel-bombings and chemical weapons attacks — unleashed against his own people since 2011.
As if these were not enough, the US has alleged that the Syrian government has built a crematorium at a military prison to cover up and dispose of the remains of thousands of murdered prisoners. The regime has carried out extrajudicial killings of thousands of detainees, many through mass hangings.
The prison where the abhorring atrocities have been carried is situated outside of Damascus. Assad’s regime has modified a building within
Saydnaya prison complex which serves as a crematorium. The state
department has released satellite images to substantiate its claim of
crematorium where the bodies of the detainees are disposed with little evidence.
Assad regime’s atrocities are well documented. Amnesty International reported in February about the mass hangings at Saydnaya jail between 2011 and 2015. According to the report, which was based on accounts of witnesses, an estimated 5,000 and 13,000 people were executed at Saydnaya over five years. Every week, around 20 and 50 people, mostly opposition supporters, were executed inside the notorious prison. The killings had been authorised at the highest levels of government. Like in every case, the government dismissed Amnesty’s claims as baseless. This time too, Syria’s foreign ministry has rejected US claim, calling it a Hollywood-style story with no connection to reality or the truth. Syria affirms that these allegations are completely unfounded.
Despite all these atrocities and catastrophic situation in Syria, Assad continues to be at the helm of war-ravaged country, seemingly “with the unconditional support” of Russia and Iran. There seems to be very dim prospects that Assad will ever be brought to trial for his despicable crimes.
The US too has maintained a wavering stand over Syria. Had Obama acted on time, the Syrian story would have been different. Despite his promises, Obama failed to act when Assad ‘crossed the red line’. For Trump too, Assad regime’s chemical massacre crossed “many many red lines.” Although Trump endorsed bombings of Assad planes and runways, nothing much has changed. The US president is focused on eliminating the IS group. Trump’s administration has expressed interest in working with Russia in this endeavor and considers Syrian Kurds most reliable ally. At the same time US has reaffirmed it condemns Putin’s support for Assad. It’s nothing but “marriage of convenience.”
Syria will never be stable and secure as long as Assad is in power. Nothing is going to change till Syrian allies continue to support Assad. Russia has looked away as the regime has conducted a range of abominable crimes. The Kremlin must send a signal to Assad that such horrific violations would be accounted for. Also Trump’s policy will be no different from Obama’s, if US administration fails to rein in Assad. The Syrian president must be tried for war crimes, charged and imprisoned.