Day: March 2, 2023

Moscow, SANA- Terrorist organizations backed and supervised by the US occupation forces are holding thousands of Syrian refugees in Rukban camp, in al-Tanf area in the eastern countryside of Homs, the Russian Ministry of Defense revealed.

“According to the received intelligence, at least 2,000 people are being held in Rukban camp under tragic conditions,” Deputy head of the Russian Coordination Center in Syria, Rear Admiral Oleg Gurinov, said in a press statement reported by TASS news agency.

He noted that access to the camp “is still impossible for humanitarian organizations as there are no security assurances.”

The Russian military official stated that in the past 24 hours, three persons – two women and a child exited the camp.

“One of the women, who was in grave condition, has been transported to a medical facility in Damascus,” he said.

Source: Syria Arab News Agency

Damascus, SANA- Foreign and Expatriates Minister, Dr. Fayssal Mikdad, has stressed that the devastation caused by the earthquake didn’t shake the conscience of some countries and their leaders who have always claimed humanity.

“These countries continued their policies based on politicization and double standards, and turned a blind eye to the cries for help of the victims under the rubble under the severe shortage in rescue and relief equipment caused by the unilateral coercive measures imposed on Syria which affirms that these measures are in fact nothing but a tool of collective punishment and killing and they are not less dangerous than the earthquake,” Mikdad said in a video speech to the High-Level 52th Session of Human Rights Council.

The Foreign Minister said “The establishment of the Human Rights Council represented an opportunity for a new start in the collective work through a cooperative work based on sovereign equality among states and strengthening their capacities in accordance with their national priorities. Hence, we stress that the Syrian Arab Republic continues its efforts to develop and strengthen the legislative and institutional frameworks related to the promotion and protection of human rights, and considers that a continuous national process based upon the national needs and priorities.”

He added that Syria always aspires to multilateral work in the field of human rights on the basis of the principles enshrined in the UN Charter and respect for sovereignty and national peculiarities, and that Syria is willing to continue the collective work in the framework of the Council, in order to enhance its role as an international mechanism for promoting universal respect for human rights on the basis of the principles of impartiality and objectivity and away from politicization and selectivity.

Mikdad renewed Syria’s rejection to the practices of some countries in the Council that seek to impose politicized resolutions and mechanisms that constitute a model of blatant interference in the internal affairs of independent countries, especially developing countries, and a violation of the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and an exploitation to human rights titles, noting that such approach would lead to losing the Council’s credibility, and adversely affect the environment of international work in the field of human rights.

The Foreign Minister elaborated that the draft resolution entitled “situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic” and its outputs is an example of hijacking international human rights mechanisms by tendentious political agendas, adding that the countries sponsoring this draft resolution insist on using it as mean to spread their allegations on the situation in Syria.

“Our national experience urges us to stress the importance of discussing the impacts of terrorism on human rights by the Council through a comprehensive approach based on guaranteeing the rights of the victims of terrorism,” Mikdad said.

He affirmed that the Syrian Arab Republic has taken all necessary measures to protect its citizens from violations committed by terrorist armed groups, and has restored security, stability and the rule of law to the areas liberated from these groups.

The Foreign Minister added that Syria has also strengthened means of support and protection to create an appropriate environment for the return of all Syrians internally displaced and refugees to their homes in a safe, dignified and voluntary manner.

Mikdad said “The catastrophe of the earthquake that struck Syria has deepened the harsh conditions the country has been going through for twelve years. It added grave challenges and doubled the suffering of the Syrians. The Syrian Government quickly launched an emergency response plan at the national level to address the repercussions of the disaster, and appealed to countries and international to support the affected areas.”

Mikdad expressed Syria’s thanks and appreciation to the countries and organizations that showed solidarity and extending a helping hand to the Syrians.

He stressed that the illegal blockade has caused enormous humanitarian suffering and has undermined the enjoyment of basic human rights, including the right of the Syrian people to life, decent living, health, education and development in all forms.

He added that some countries are promoting biased and politicized reports and they have sought to conceal the report of the Special Rapporteur on the negative impacts of the unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, following her visit to Syria last October, as she affirmed that these measures may mount to crimes against humanity.

“The item 7 of the Council’s agenda is an essential item that addresses a unique and ongoing case of racial settlement colonialism. Syria stresses its inalienable right to fully restore the occupied Syrian Arab Golan and rejects any measures taken by Israeli occupation to perpetuate its occupation including the relentless settlement activities which in they entirety constitute a violation of relevant United Nations resolutions, in particular Security Council resolution 497 for 1981,” Mikdad said.

He concluded “Syria condemns the gross and systematic violations of human rights that the Israeli occupation forces and settler gangs continue to commit in the occupied Syrian Golan and the occupied Palestinian territories, and it renews its unwavering support for the right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state, and to guarantee of the right of Palestinian refugees to return in implementation of relevant United Nations resolutions. Syria support the liberation of the remaining occupied Lebanese territories.”

Source: Syria Arab News Agency

Hasaka, SANA- Members of al-Sadah al-Ma’amra tribe and social activities in Hasaka city staged a protest stand in front of International Committee of the Red Cross headquarters, demanding to lift the conceive measures and end unjust siege imposed on Syrian people particularly in light of the humanitarian disaster, Syria has exposed to due to the earthquake.

The Tribe condemned, in a statement, the US and Western inhumane and immoral practices against the Syrian people, calling for ending the siege which has exhausted the Syrian people, as its catastrophic results have appeared following the devastative earthquake that hit a number of Syrian provinces.

The statement voiced support to all afflicted families due to the earthquake and unveiling the US and western allegations which lack to the minimum of humanitarian values.

The participants expressed their rejection of the unjust siege and unilateral sanctions imposed on Syria.

They also expressed rejection of all forms of terrorism, asserting that the stand aims at demanding the international and humanitarian organizations to lift siege of Syria after it has suffered for more than 12 years in fighting terrorism.

Source: Syria Arab News Agency

Beirut, SANA-Ma’an Bashour, Head of International Arab Centre for Communication and Solidarity, said that “the Arab-International campaign to Break siege on Syria” which was launched before the devastating earthquake in the country will continue until removing the western unjust embargo imposed on the country.

Bashour, during TV interview with George Galloway, Former Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom, referred to many initiatives expected to be taken in that regard, the most of which is to organize “the Arab Brothers convoy to break siege on Syria” which will be launched from “the Ocean to the Gulf”, similar to Mariam Convoy to break siege on Iraq that was set off, 20 years ago, from London, under the supervision of Galloway, and headed for Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia until it landed in Iraq.

Bashour, Ex-Secretary of Arab national congress, added that a mass march will take place in front of the White House in Washington by the Answer coalition, with the participation of nearly 100 association and organization, on the 20th anniversary of the war on Iraq to demand the end of the western blockade on Syria.

Source: Syria Arab News Agency

Aleppo, SANA- Deputy Chairman of the Iranian-Syrian Parliamentary Friendship Association in the Islamic Shura Council in Iran, Dr. Abbas Kalro and the accompanying delegation offered condolences over Aleppo earthquake victims, expressing solidarity with all Syrian people in facing the humanitarian catastrophe.

Meeting with Governor of Aleppo Hussein Diab on Thursday, the Iranian delegation affirmed their standing with the Syrian people, the continuation of cooperation and strengthening of friendly relations to face common challenges.

Kalro pointed out in a statement that this visit to Damascus and Aleppo is to offer condolences and solidarity, and to confirm that the leadership and people in Iran stand with their Syrian brothers , and are ready all the time to provide humanitarian and relief aid to the earthquake-affected people.

Source: Syria Arab News Agency

Amman-SANA -In solidarity with the Syrian people, a campaign entitled “End the Siege” will be launched next Saturday, at the initiative of the Arab Forum in Amman, and in cooperation with a group of organizations and figures in the Arab world, Europe and North America.

According to its statement, the campaign comes in solidarity with the Syrian people who are suffering from the unilateral measures imposed on their country by the United States and its European allies, and aims to mobilize efforts to lift the Western blockade on Syria, especially after the recent earthquake.

The campaign will launch its first activities, through a series of simultaneous sit-ins, in Jordan, Palestine, Algeria, Egypt, Yemen, Tunisia, Morocco, Lebanon, Britain, Slovakia, Ireland, Germany and Canada. These events will be followed by many activities, as it is expected that the campaign will expand to include many countries in the upcoming events.

Source: Syria Arab News Agency

SpaceX launched four astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA on Thursday, including the first person from the Arab world going up for an extended monthslong stay.

The Falcon rocket bolted from Kennedy Space Center shortly after midnight, illuminating the night sky as it headed up the East Coast.

Nearly 80 spectators from the United Arab Emirates watched from the launch site as astronaut Sultan al-Neyadi — only the second Emirati to fly to space — blasted off on his six-month mission.

Half a world away in Dubai and elsewhere across the UAE, schools and offices planned to broadcast the launch live.

Also riding the Dragon capsule that’s due at the space station on Friday: NASA’s Stephen Bowen, a retired Navy submariner who logged three space shuttle flights, and Warren “Woody” Hoburg, a former research scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and space newbie, and Andrei Fedyaev, a space rookie who’s retired from the Russian Air Force.

“Welcome to orbit,” SpaceX Launch Control radioed, noting liftoff occurred four years to the day after the capsule’s first orbital test flight. “If you enjoyed your ride, please don’t forget to give us five stars.”

The first attempt to launch them was called off Monday at the last minute because of a clogged filter in the engine ignition system.

“It may have taken two times, but it was worth the trip,” Bowen said.

They will replace a U.S.-Russian-Japanese crew that has been up there since October. The other station residents are two Russians and an American whose six-month stay was doubled, until September, after their Soyuz capsule sprang a leak. A replacement Soyuz arrived last weekend.

Al-Neyadi, a communications engineer, served as backup for the first Emirati astronaut, Hazzaa al-Mansoori, who rode a Russian rocket to the space station in 2019 for a weeklong visit. The oil-rich federation paid for al-Neyadi’s seat on the SpaceX flight.

He thanked everyone in Arabic and then English once reaching orbit. “Launch was incredible. Amazing,” he said.

The UAE’s minister for public education and advanced technology, Sarah al-Amiri, said the long mission “provides us a new venue for science and scientific discovery for the country.”

“We don’t want to just go to space and then not have much to do there or not have impact,” said the director general of the UAE’s space center in Dubai, Salem al-Marri.

The Emirates already have a spacecraft orbiting Mars, and a mini rover is hitching a ride to the moon on a Japanese lander. Two new UAE astronauts are training with NASA’s latest astronaut picks in Houston.

Saudi Prince Sultan bin Salman was the first Arab in space, launching aboard shuttle Discovery in 1985. He was followed two years later by Syrian astronaut Muhammed Faris, launched by Russia. Both were in space for about a week.

Al-Neyadi will be joined this spring by two Saudi astronauts going to the space station on a short private SpaceX flight paid by their government.

“It’s going to be really exciting, really interesting” to have three Arabs in space at once, he said last week. “Our region is also thirsty to learn more.”

He’s taking up lots of dates to share with his crewmates, especially during Ramadan, the Muslim holy month which begins this month. As for observing Ramadan in orbit, he said fasting isn’t compulsory since it could make him weak and jeopardize his mission.

Bowen, the crew’s leader, said the four have jelled well as a team despite differences between their countries. Even with the tension over the war in Ukraine, the U.S. and Russia have continued to work together on the space station and trade seats on rides there.

“It’s just tremendous to have the opportunity to fly with these guys,” Bowen said.

Source: National News Agency