Amnesty demands rights violators face justice after Assad falls

Amnesty International called on Sunday for perpetrators of rights violations in Syria to face justice after Bashar al-Assad's fall from power, calling it a "historic opportunity" to end decades of abuses.

"Suspected perpetrators of crimes under international law and other serious human rights violations must be investigated, and if warranted, prosecuted for their crimes" Agnes Callamard, head of the London-based rights group said in a statement.

She added that any prosecutions should be in "fair trials and without the possibility of the death penalty".

"The most important step is justice, and not retribution," Callamard added, urging "opposition forces to break free from the violence of the past".

Syrian rebels toppled Assad in a sweeping offensive culminating in the capture of the capital Damascus. Assad's key ally Russia said that he had resigned as president and left the country, without specifying where to.

In the statement, Callamard accused Assad and his father Hafez al-Assad of subjecting Syrians to multiple "war crimes" and "crimes against humanity" during their five decades in power.

The Amnesty secretary general also called for the collection and preservation of "evidence of any crimes committed, past or present, to ensure accountability".

"Such information could provide critical evidence on the fate of the disappeared and be used in future prosecutions and trials for crimes under international law," Callamard added.

"For the families of Syria's tens of thousands of forcibly disappeared, the release of detainees from the many prisons across the country... raises the prospect that they could finally discover the fate of their missing loved ones," Callamard said.

She urged the international community to "support the victims of the Assad government's atrocities to secure justice and reparations for crimes under international law in Syria".