Human Rights Watch recently released a report describing human rights violations carried out by members of Syria’s armed opposition. The international rights organization called on the opposition Syrian National Council to halt the crimes committed by its members.
Armed, anti-Assad opposition groups have been kidnapping both civilians and members of the state security forces and demanding ransom money from their families.
“They would kidnap them and ask their parents to pay a ransom to let them go,” said one activist, going by the name Samih.
Executions of civilians were also reported to Human Rights Watch. Three people accused of working with the government were tortured to death by opposition forces in Idlib.
The Syrian National Council has so far refused to condemn the actions of its members and supporters, and the so-called “Free Syria Army” has admitted responsibility for these crimes. The U.S. supports the SNC in order to undermine a non-client state, but these war crimes expose the opposition’s true character.