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Signs that Assad will – one day - be held to account for using chemical weapons

Last week, largely ignored by mainstream media, there appeared the following story about Syrian refugees in Sweden. And unusually, it was good news: lawyers representing victims of chemical weapons called for a probe into officials in Bashar al-Assad’s government. Under Swedish law allegations of war crimes can be investigated regardless of where they were committed. Similar legal actions, under the principle of “universal jurisdiction”, have already been launched in Germany and France.
The attacks, which took place in 2013 in Eastern Ghouta, and in 2017 against Khan Sheikhoun, have been extensively documented. Hundreds of civilians, including children, were killed. “By filing the complaint, we want to support the victims’ struggle for truth and justice,” Hadi al-Khatib, founder and director of Syrian Archive - one of four NGOS involved - said in a statement.
Syrian opposition activists claim that the Assad regime has used chemical weapons more than 300 times to terrorize civilians. A UN-commissioned investigation to identify those behind chemical attacks concluded in 2017 that Syrian government forces had used both chlorine and sarin gas. But Damascus denies that charge. Assad even referred notoriously in an interview to “actors” posing as dead children.
In another positive development a few days later the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague voted to strip Syria of its voting rights and other privileges for failing to declare its extensive CW arsenal. France spearheaded the initiative and called the sanctions "a good day for multilateralism". The UK said it was "vital" for the OPCW's "credibility”.
It also shed interesting – though hardly surprising- light on Assad’s friends: Iran, Russia, China and Pakistan all voted in support of Syria. But every EU member state voted to strip Syria of those rights: the result was 87 for, 15 against, with 34 abstentions.
Still, sceptics – and outright conspiracy theorists – remain active in western countries as well, with the support of Moscow. There was a stunning reminder of that the other day with an impressively detailed report in Newlines about attempts to undermine the OPCW’s investigation of a 2018 Douma chemical weapon attack with the help of Russian diplomats and state media.
The background to this bleak story is that pro-Assad disinformation took off following Vladimir Putin’s intervention in the Syrian civil war in September 2015. It was then that Kremlin-backed propaganda organs went into overdrive in an attempt to exonerate Assad of atrocities and war crimes, typically by blaming them on his jihadi enemies like Isis (Daesh), the al-Nusra Front or third parties.
In Britain, the Working Group on Syria, Propaganda and Media is the most prominent of these organisations. It benefits from the respectability normally associated with academics (though not with any expertise on Syria). It was founded by Professor Piers Robinson of the University of Sheffield, a believer in long-debunked conspiracy theories about the September 11 attacks on the US.
It is also marred by other individuals associated with defending Assad at any price. Vanessa Beeley is one of them who has repeatedly accused the White Helmets, an internationally funded rescue organization, of staging chemical attacks in Syria. A recent BBC documentary MayDay, about the suicide of James Le Mesurier, the founder of the White Helmets, fuelled that controversy.
Joby Warrick, the author of Red Line, a riveting account of how Barack Obama tried and failed to rid Assad of his chemical weapons, argues that the world had to wait a long time for justice to be done in the wake of the Yugoslav wars – especially Bosnia - in the early 1990s. But Slobodan Milosevic, the president of Serbia, and Ratko Mladic, the perpetrator of the Srebrenica massacre, were eventually convicted.
The recent trial in Germany, ending in the conviction of a Syrian called Eyad al-Gharib, because of his role as an intelligence officer serving the Assad regime, was widely seen as a step in the right direction. It was the first time that any European court had convicted a Syrian for crimes against humanity.
“The scale and depth of Syrian suffering and injustice are an affront to all of humanity, and these efforts show that humanity has begun to respond,” the Syrian Network for Human Rights said in response to the OPCW vote. “But justice to date is still not commensurate to the injustices suffered. For serious and comprehensive justice to be achieved, the root causes of the atrocities must be addressed. Universal jurisdiction provides a narrow path to limited criminal accountability.”
Still, not all the news about European attitudes is good: from Denmark came the decision that Syrian refugees - especially women (men can claim protection from compulsory military service) - could return home as Damascus and neighbouring areas are considered safe – a ruling condemned by Human Rights Watch – and happily not followed by other countries.
But there was also an inspiring item on Twitter about Syrian refugee boy called Abdullah, originally from Homs, who lives in Scotland. Not only had he acquired English, but Gaelic as well - a tribute to human resilience in the face of inhuman behaviour and a poignant reminder of the eternal power of education.
by:IAN BLACK
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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