Top EU diplomats visit Syria, visit Assad regime prison in Sednaya, demand inclusive leadership.

in Damascus – The European Union supports a peaceful, inclusive transition in Syria, French and German diplomats said on Friday during a visit to Damascus to meet with new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock were in the Syrian capital to speak on behalf of the European Union, in the most high-profile visit by major Western powers since the Islamist-led military. has overthrown longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad last month.

One of their first stops was the notorious Sednaya prison, not far from the capital.

Accompanied by White Helmet rescuers, Barrot and Baerbock visited the cells and underground dungeons of Sednaya, which for decades stood as a terrifying symbol of the atrocities committed against Assad’s opponents.

The prison was a place of extrajudicial killings, torture and enforced disappearances. The lawyers’ organization said more than 4,000 people were released from prisons when rebel forces took over Damascus on December 8. Other prisoners – both criminals and anti-Assad – simply disappeared after being held there.

In 2017, the US State Department said the Assad regime was using the Sednaya crematorium to dispose of corpses in the area. an attempt to “cover up” mass murder it was done there.

The “weak hope” of a “stable and peaceful” Syria.

Sharaa, head of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), led the coup that overthrew Assad. The interim authorities ruled by HTS are now faced with the difficult task of rebuilding the state’s institutions, with growing calls to ensure an inclusive transition and guarantee the rights of minorities.

Barrot, in Damascus, expressed hope for an “independent, stable and peaceful” Syria.

It was also “a hope that the wishes of all Syrians can be fulfilled,” he added, “but a fragile hope.”

In a statement, Baerbock said Germany wants to help Syria become a “safe home” for all its people, and “a functioning country, fully in control of its territory.”

He said the visit is a “clear signal” to Damascus that there is a possibility of a new relationship between Syria and Germany, and Europe in general.

Earlier, in a post written on X, Barrot said: “Together, France and Germany stand by the Syrian people, in all their diversity.”

He added that the two European countries want to promote a “peaceful transition” to the new government in the country.

Despite “doubts” about HTS – formerly the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda and still designated as a terrorist organization by the US and many other governments – Baerbock said “we must not miss the opportunity to support the Syrian people at these important crossroads. .”

Sharaa has distanced himself from HTS and al-Qaeda in recent years, and the group’s public statements have suggested plans to honor thousands of Syrians.

The Biden administration said after Assad fled to Russia that the US could recognize a new Syrian government under certain conditions. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the new leadership and the transition process must ensure the protection of small groups in Syria, the entry of humanitarian aid into the country, prevent Syria from being used as a base for terrorist organizations, and help ensure that any chemical and chemical weapons. biological weapons are protected and destroyed.

Baerbock said on Friday that Berlin is ready to support an “inclusive and peaceful transfer of power” and “social reconciliation” in Syria.

He also called on the new regime to avoid “retaliatory actions against civil society groups,” to avoid long delays before elections, and to avoid any attempts to “Islamize” the justice and education systems.

Since the ousting of Assad, a delegation of foreign delegations has traveled to Damascus to meet with the country’s new leaders. France and Germany had both already sent low-level envoys last month.

At the beginning of his visit, Barrot met with representatives of the Christian communities of Syria. Media sources said Barrot told Christian leaders that France is committed to Syria with equal rights for all, including minority groups.

Syria’s civil war – which began in 2011 when the Assad government brutally suppressed pro-democracy protests – saw Germany, France and a number of other countries close their diplomatic missions in Damascus.

The conflict has killed more than 500,000 people, displaced millions and left Syria shattered and broken.

The new authorities have called for the lifting of sanctions imposed on Syria under Assad to allow for reconstruction.

Paris will host an international conference on Syria later this month, following a similar meeting in December in Jordan.