Since the opening ceremony of the World Cup, Russian-Syrian forces have killed 71 civilians, including 20 children, and displaced 270 thousand people, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights.

Russia had hopes that the World Cup would change the world’s perception of them, and so far, that seems to be the case.

But the Syrian Network for Human Rights called on journalists, media professionals and lawyers around the world to raise awareness on the crimes committed by Russian forces in Syria since the World Cup started. This included the death of 6,187 civilians, 1,771 of them children.

And while the Russian team was preparing to play its first game in the World Cup’s opening ceremony on June 14, the country’s forces were preparing to launch an attack on southern Syria.

Human rights violations

The statement continued to list the violations committed by the Russian forces in Syria since the World Cup.

These included the mention of eight massacres, at least 14 attacks on important centers including five medical facilities, and the displacement of about 270,000 Syrians.

The statement called on Russian forces to stop their air raids and the murder of civilians, to reconstruct the cities they destroyed, to deal with the psychological and social consequences of their actions, and to provide aid to the tens of thousands they displaced.

Last Update: Wednesday, 20 May 2020 KSA 09:53 - GMT 06:53