War Crimes against Cultural Heritage in Syria's Armed Conflict

Destruction of historical buildings and sites, using archaeologic site for military purposes and smuggling historical and antiquity objects are some of the war crimes committed in large scale and in a targeted, planned and systematic way against Syrian cultural heritage by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. Lack of appropriate internal laws and regulations, failure of judicial, political and cultural organs of Syria, being not member to most of the international treaties governing cultural heritage, unwillingness and inability of security council for adopting appropriate measures such as military intervention or referral of Syria situation to international criminal court and non-compliance in the side of armed non-state groups of the rules and principles of international humanitarian law has brought a dangerous situation for Syrian cultural heritage which are part of the common heritage of mankind. War crimes against such heritage is a threat to international peace and security. Hence, the international community shall use all of its legal and political capacities for prosecution and trial of persons who committed those crimes.