Netherlands prepares case against Syria for 'gross human rights violations'

FILE PHOTO: Syria's President Bashar al-Assad addresses the new members of parliament in Damascus, Syria in this handout released by SANA on August 12, 2020. SANA/Handout via REUTERS

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The Netherlands is preparing a case against Syria at the U.N.'s highest court, seeking to hold the government of President Bashar al-Assad accountable for human rights violations, including torture and the use of chemical weapons, the Dutch foreign minister told parliament on Friday.

Syria has been informed of the legal step, which precedes a possible case at the International Court of Justice, the U.N.'s court for disputes between states in The Hague.