After Assad’s fall: Baerbock warns Damascus against abandoning a moderate course

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock gave the new Syrian leadership clear conditions for Europe’s support during her visit to Damascus. Germany and the European Union wanted to help ensure that Syria’s future chapter would be peaceful and free. But there is still a long way to go about this, she said at the end of her trip with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on behalf of the EU.

“We now need a political dialogue that includes all ethnic and religious groups, including all people, especially women in this country,” said the Green politician. Europe will support Syria, but will not become a financier of new Islamist structures, emphasized Baerbock.

No handshake for Baerbock

Baerbock and Barrot had previously been received by Syria’s de facto ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa. While the Islamist did not greet the German with a handshake, he did extend his hand to the Frenchman. Barrot returned the gesture only hesitantly.

Baerbock later said when asked by a journalist that it was clear to her when she arrived that there would be no handshake. In the conversation with al-Sharaa, she made it very clear that women’s rights are an indicator of how free a society is. It was heard from delegation circles that al-Sharaa extended his hand again at the end of the conversation, but that there was no longer a handshake.

Doubts about the moderate tones

Al-Sharaa is the leader of the Islamist rebel group Haiat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which played a key role in the overthrow of long-term ruler Bashar al-Assad a good four weeks ago. He was formerly known by his nom de guerre, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani.

The HTS group emerged from the Al-Nusra Front, an offshoot of the Al-Qaeda terrorist network. Al-Sharaa broke away from Al-Qaeda and the terrorist organization Islamic State (IS) and announced a moderate course.

Nevertheless, doubts continue to arise about the veracity of the moderate tones from Damascus. For example, the interim government drew criticism for curriculum changes that critics believe reveal an ideological bias. To this day, there are reports that the HTS leadership maintains contact with al-Qaeda.

Expert: Refusing a handshake is not good

The former head of the Science and Politics Foundation, Volker Perthes, viewed the refused handshake as a bad sign. “That’s not good, even if we know it from other countries where extremely conservative Islamic men are in power: Iran, for example, and until some time ago also Saudi Arabia,” Perthes told the “Stern.” He added: ” This is not part of the tradition in Syria. I hope that al-Sharaa will also be criticized for this in Syria.”

Baerbock calls for justice for Assad victims

Right at the beginning of their visit, Baerbock and Barrot were informed by the White Helmets civil protection organization about the atrocities committed by torturers during the Assad era in the notorious Saidnaya prison north of the capital. Ministers were asked to put on masks and rubber gloves – given the stench of urine and feces in cells littered with dirty clothing and empty pill boxes.

Saidnaya is considered to be the most notorious military prison from the Assad rule. Popularly it was just called the “slaughterhouse.”

The White Helmets practically begged Baerbock and Barrot to work to ensure that justice is done for the victims. At the very end they had shown the Europeans the infamous human press. Women and men are said to have been crushed to death in it.

Baerbock: People went through hell

“You simply cannot imagine the horror of some places,” said Baerbock, shocked. “But people have gone through hell here near the Syrian capital Damascus. They have been killed using methods that cannot be imagined in a civilized world.”

The lives of the victims of the Assad regime who died there cannot be brought back. “But we can all contribute as an international community to ensuring that justice is achieved.” Baerbock added that this was one of the reasons why they came to Damascus: “To make it clear that we also support the people here in Syria when it comes to the issue of collecting evidence, justice and solving these terrible crimes.”

Assad’s magnificent palace as a stark contrast

The contrast between the prison and the presidential palace where Baerbock and Barrot were received could hardly be greater. Huge halls, a red carpet dozens of meters long, and Assad’s inlaid furniture is still there in the room where al-Sharaa welcomed the Europeans for talks.

When asked whether she was committed to an early lifting of the sanctions against Syria, Baerbock reacted with reservation. That depends on how the political process is designed.

She traveled to Syria to talk to the interim government and other actors about “whether such a political, inclusive process is possible, whether compliance with human rights can really be guaranteed. And this is also linked to the whole question of the lifting of sanctions.” said the minister.

Question about the return of refugees

Whether human rights and security are guaranteed is also fundamental to the question of the return of refugees, said Baerbock. “People only return if they are sure that they will not end up in such torture prisons or in Islamist torture prisons again. That is why the political process is so essential,” said the minister.

After more than ten years of civil war, Syria is fragmented and sectarian. Even after Assad’s fall, rival militias continue to fight for power. Almost simultaneously with Barbock’s visit to Damascus, there were reports of heavy fighting in the north of the country between pro-Turkish militias and Kurdish forces that control large parts of the country.