OPCW Issues Two Fact-Finding Mission Reports on Chemical Weapons Use Allegations in Aleppo and Saraqib, Syria
THE HAGUE, Netherlands—2 October 2020—The Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), issued today two reports on the FFM’s investigation regarding separate incidents of alleged use of toxic chemicals as a weapon in Aleppo, Syrian Arab Republic, on 24 November 2018 and in Saraqib, Syrian Arab Republic, on 1 August 2016.
The FFM’s activities regarding the allegation in Aleppo included visiting hospitals to collect medical records and witness accounts, conducting interviews, obtaining information, and gathering other data. The FFM also received environmental samples from State Parties. It further analysed a range of inputs, including witness testimonies, results of environmental sample analysis, epidemiological and technical analyses, and additional digital information from witnesses and State Party technical experts.
Pertaining to this allegation in Aleppo, the information obtained and analysed, the composite summary of the interviews and the results of the laboratory analyses did not allow the FFM to establish whether or not chemicals were used as a weapon in the incident that took place in the neighbourhood of Al-Khalidiyah and its surroundings in North-West Aleppo on 24 November 2018.
The FFM’s activities regarding the allegation in Saraqib included collecting medical records and other digital information, conducting interviews, and gathering other data.
The results of the analysis of all available data obtained up until the issuance of this report did not allow the FFM to establish whether or not chemicals were used as a weapon in the incident that took place in Saraqib, in the Idlib Governorate, on 1 August 2016
The FFM’s reports on these two allegations of chemical weapons have been shared with States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention. The reports were also transmitted to the UN Security Council through the UN Secretary-General.
