Canada and the Netherlands are filing a joint lawsuit against the Syrian regime at the Court of Justice on charges of committing violations against Syrians

Canada and the Netherlands filed a complaint against Syria with the International Court of Justice in The Hague on charges of “torture,” the court announced Monday, in the first case before the United Nations’ highest court linked to the war in Syria.

The International Court of Justice said in a statement that the two countries said in their request, “Syria has committed countless violations of international law, starting at least in 2011,” and asked for urgent measures to be taken to protect those at risk of torture.

The two countries seek to hold the government of the Syrian regime responsible for gross human rights violations and torture under the United Nations Convention against Torture, which Damascus ratified in 2004.

If the court finds it has jurisdiction to hear the case, it will be the first international court able to reach a legal conclusion on the state’s alleged use of torture in Syria.

Canada and the Netherlands decided to act in 2020 after Russia blocked multiple efforts in the UN Security Council to refer a case related to human rights violations in Syria to the International Criminal Court, which tries individuals for war crimes, based in The Hague.