7. “Switzerland: Dangerous “Yes” vote gives police sweeping powers to the spread of Covid-19 and blocked access target people including children without charge or trial”, 13 June to medical care for thousands in south and 8. “Switzerland: No to facial recognition”, 18 November (French and north-east Syria. Tens of thousands of German only) internally displaced people were at risk of contracting Covid-19 due to dire living SYRIA conditions. Some European countries investigated and prosecuted individuals suspected of committing crimes under Syrian Arab Republic international law in Syria through their Head of state: Bashar al-Assad national courts under the principle of Head of government: Hussein Arnous “universal jurisdiction”. The death penalty remained in force and executions were Parties to the conflict continued to commit reported. with impunity serious violations of BACKGROUND international humanitarian law, including war crimes, crimes against humanity and On 12 April, the Organisation for the other gross human rights abuses. Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Government forces carried out direct reported that there “were reasonable attacks on civilians and civilian grounds” to believe that the Syrian infrastructure, including hospitals and gas government had conducted a chlorine attack facilities, and indiscriminate attacks on Saraqib city in Idlib governorate in 2018. through aerial bombing and artillery shelling As a result, the OPCW suspended “certain in Idlib governorate and western Aleppo rights and privileges” of Syria’s membership. countryside. They also besieged civilians in On 26 May, Bashar al-Assad was elected southern Syria and restricted and denied president for a fourth term. Only people living civilian access to humanitarian aid across in government-controlled areas and the the country. Security forces arbitrarily Syrian diaspora in some countries were subjected refugees returning to their homes allowed to vote. to unlawful detention, torture and other ill- In June, hostilities between the government, treatment, and enforced disappearance. supported by Russia, and Hay’at Tahrir al- Government authorities continued to Sham escalated in Idlib governorate and arbitrarily detain tens of thousands of Aleppo countryside as government forces people, including peaceful activists, tried to regain full control of the M4 and M5 humanitarian workers, lawyers and highways. In July, the government launched journalists, subjecting many to enforced a military offensive against armed opposition disappearance. The Syrian National Army groups in Daraa al-Balad city, which ended (SNA), supported by Turkey, continued to with a ceasefire agreement around mid- subject civilians in the northern cities of September. Afrin and Ras al-Ayn to arbitrary detention, Between July and August, unidentified torture and other ill-treatment, and armed groups detonated improvised abduction. In the north-east, the explosive devices in Afrin and Ras al-Ayn, two Autonomous Administration led by the cities under the control of pro-Turkey armed Democratic Union Party (PYD) arbitrarily groups, killing and injuring many civilians detained children in al-Hol camp and and damaging civilian infrastructure. In transferred them to prisons where they were August, unknown groups shelled al-Bab, a detained with adults. In the north-west, the city in northern Aleppo countryside controlled opposition armed group Hay’at Tahrir al- by pro-Turkey armed groups, causing civilian Sham arbitrarily detained and harassed casualties and destroying homes. activists and journalists. The government failed to provide a robust response to curb Amnesty International Report 2021/22 353