It was the fourth time that Russia and China used vetoes to block any action by the UNSC in the Syrian conflict. In her explanation of the vote, US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power said it is the Council's responsibility to stop atrocities and “at a minimum” to ensure that the perpetrators of atrocities are held accountable.
“Sadly, because of the decision by the Russian Federation to back the Syrian regime no matter what it does, the Syrian people will not see justice today. They will see crime, but not punishment,” she said, adding that a judicial process would have not only held perpetrators accountable but also allowed victims of the Syrian war to speak.
“The vetoes today have prevented the victims of atrocities from testifying at The Hague for now. But nonetheless it is important for us here today to hear the kind of testimony we might have heard if Russia and China had not raised their hands to oppose accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity,” Power said.
She said the vetoes by Russia and China “protect not only Assad and his henchmen, but also the radical Islamic terrorists” who are pursuing a fundamentalist assault on the Syrian people that “knows no decency or humanity.” “These vetoes have aided impunity not just for Assad, but for terrorist groups as well,” Power said.
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