After 10 years, the United States took action against Emjad Yusuf, the military intelligence officer responsible for shooting 41 blindfolded civilians one by one and throwing them into a ditch in Tadamon, one of the outskirts of Damascus.
Blinken, in his written statement on the subject, reminded that the Syrian civil war has entered its 12th year, and many war crimes and crimes against humanity were committed during this period, and used the following statements:
“One of these atrocities was the massacre in the Tadamon District of Damascus on April 16, 2013, in which the Assad regime military intelligence officer Emced Yusuf murdered at least 41 unarmed civilians. The video evidence of these murders, which was committed in cold blood and systematically, has been given by independent researchers for a long and long time. It was shared with the public for the first time after a comprehensive investigation in 2022. Today, we are taking action to hold accountable for this atrocity.”
The US Minister, Emced Yusuf, who is an authorized officer in the Syrian Military Intelligence Organization, stated that they have imposed an entry ban on his wife Annan Vafus and his close family members to the USA.
Stating that they commemorate the victims of “Tadamon”, Blinken noted that the images of this massacre should be an important reminder that countries should not normalize their relations with the Assad regime without making progress for a political solution.
Emphasizing that they continue to support all international efforts for the Assad regime to pay the price for human rights violations, Blinken said, “To ensure justice and accountability for the crimes, violations and abuses committed against the Syrians, a stable, just and lasting peace in Syria and the region. It is essential for it,” he said.