AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

Public Statement

AI Index: MDE 24/ 029/2008 (Public)

29 September 2008

Syria: Amnesty International condemns killing of civilians

Amnesty International condemns the car bomb attack which took place in the south of the capital Damascus on 27 September, killing 17 people, 16 of them civilians, and injuring at least 14 others. The car exploded near a security forces building located at the intersection between the main road to Damascus International Airport and a road leading to the Sayeda Zaynab shrine, a popular destination for Shi’a Muslim pilgrims.

It is unclear whether civilians were the target or the security service. No group has claimed responsibility. It was the deadliest bomb attack in Syria for two decades.

Amnesty International is calling on the Syrian authorities urgently to take all possible steps to ensure that all those responsible for Saturday’s killings are arrested and brought to justice promptly and fairly and without recourse to the death penalty.

Deliberate or indiscriminate attacks on civilians can never be justified and those responsible show complete disregard for the most fundamental principles of humanity.