MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Syrian President's statement made amid the scandal errupted after the Amnesty International published a report, in which it accused the Syrian government of carrying out mass killings of up to 13,000 people in custody at Syria's Saydnaya military prison.
Horrific new Amnesty research — Assad's campaign of mass hangings & extermination at Saydnaya Prison https://t.co/2ib7PFzOcS pic.twitter.com/XH7w2YIvPI
— kristyan benedict (@KreaseChan) February 7, 2017
Assad repulsed the accusations, saying that the human rights group's report was false and questioning the credibility of the organization.
Syrian President Bashar Assad's response to 2015 accusations of prison detainee torture was that Damascus is ready for "unbiased and fair" way to verify the allegations. According to the Syrian leader, there is no verification of any alleged evidence that the Damascus authorities have been involved in the abuse of people in detention.
During the Astana peace talks the Syrian armed opposition insisted on President Bashar Assad stepping down as part of a political settlement for the country's six-year conflict, but the issue was not put on the talks' agenda.
While Russia and Iran maintain that the political landscape of the country should be shaped by the Syrian people, Western countries want Assad to resign.
"Definitely, for me whenever Syrian people don’t want me to be in that position I would leave right away," Assad said.
He also did not rule out holding early presidential elections if "the Syrian people think about early presidential elections or any kind of presidential elections."
Sickened by reports from Amnesty International on executions in Syria. Assad responsible for so many deaths and has no future as leader
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) February 7, 2017
Earlier in the week, Assad also stated that Syria does not belong to his family and every citizen has the right to the presidency of the Arab republic.
