Image: Newlines Magazine 

Warning - violence against civilians described below

Dear John,

There is irrefutable evidence of war crimes committed by the murderous Syrian regime, hell-bent on holding on to power at any cost.

Last week, the Guardian published a damning report recounting an investigation into war crimes committed by members of the Syrian army. Professor Uğur Ümit Üngör and researcher Annsar Shahhoud from the University of Amsterdam’s Holocaust and Genocide Center, along with a Syrian military defector, uncovered and investigated footage of Syrian soldiers loyal to Bashar al-Assad massacring 41 civilians.

The horrifying footage shows regime soldier Amgd Youssuf and his peers leading civilians from Tadamon, a suburb of Damascus, towards an already-dug pit filled with bodies and then shooting them. The video, dated 16 April, 2013, is yet another proof, among others, of the Syrian regime's willingness to commit mass murder and cover up those crimes.

For thousand of Syrians, the international community is already too late in acting. But, is there still something advocates like you can do? Yes.

As evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity continues to grow, the United States and the international community must take concrete actions to hold the perpetrators of these severe human rights violations accountable. Prosecutions of war crimes committed in Syria are taking place in Europe; just this past year, Germany convicted Anwar Raslan, a Syrian military intelligence official, for his role in the torture and murder of prisoners. America needs to follow suit.

As people of conscience, we call on our government to increase its support for accountability efforts in order to bring a measure of justice to the victims of Assad’s crimes. The videos, images, and stories that have come out of Syria are challenging and painful, but we have a responsibility to uplift those voices. 

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