Tehran meeting urges peaceful solution in Syria

Heads of parliamentary foreign policy committees of friends of Syria countries have called for the formation of a fact-finding committee to investigate the killings in Syria.

The second meeting of heads of parliamentary foreign policy committees of friends of Syria was held in the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Sunday, bringing together delegations from 25 countries.

In a statement issued at the end of the meeting, the participants said those countries which have sent arms and militants to Syria should be held accountable for the massacre.

The Western powers and their regional allies – especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey – are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.

Since the beginning of the crisis in Syria in March 2011, many reports and videos have been released on horrific crimes, including beheading of Syrian soldiers and civilians, committed by foreign-backed militants.

They also welcomed any constructive political solution to end the deadly crisis in the Arab country.

It further criticized efforts made by certain countries to refer the Syria dossier to the International Criminal Court (ICC), saying the move aims to distort the realities on the ground in Syria and to spoil the polling atmosphere in the country.

On 22 May 2014, France submitted to the Security Council a draft resolution to refer the situation in Syria to the ICC. About 65 UN member states backed the resolution, but Russia and China as two permanent member states of the UN Security Council vetoed the move.

The formation of an international technical and specialized group, which respects the national sovereignty of Syria, could be a correct way to settle the humanitarian crisis in Syria, it said.

Some reports say over 160,000 people have been killed in more than three years of crisis in Syria. Millions have been also displaced.