Tehran, Oct 23, IRNA ,Suppliers of chemical weapons to Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in 1980s are responsible for sufferings of 100,000 Iranians who were affected by chemical weapons, final statement of International Seminar on ‘Consequences of Use of Chemical Weapons against Iran’ said on Tuesday.
The statement said that Iran has the largest victims of chemical weapons, calling for attention of the international community to provide those affected by such weapons with health services.
“In order to make the world free from weapons of mass destruction the Convention Prohibiting Chemical Weapons (CPCW) should be honored and disarmament should take place in accordance with a timetable.” The seminar drew special attention of the international community to the sensitive situation in the Middle East and called for urging Israel to sign up to Non-Proliferation Treaty.
The statement said that the Iraqi dictator bombarded the western Iranian city of Sardasht with chemical weapons 20 years ago and massacred civilian population in Halabja in March 1988, calling on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to bring to justice suppliers of poison gases to the Iraqi dictator.
The statement which marks the 10th anniversary of taking effect of CPCW said that punishment of suppliers of chemical weapons to Saddam will be effective in averting repetition of such crimes.
The seminar made a proposal to director general of the Organization Banning Chemical Weapons to establish an ‘Open Forum to Support Victims of Chemical Weapons’ with partnership of
representatives of CPCW member states, NGOs and the United Nations, the chemical and pharmaceutical industries and humanitarian organizations without borders in order to oblige suppliers of chemical weapons to Saddam to pay compensation to those affected by the weapons.