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Statement by Minister Coveney on the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Fact-Finding Mission for Syria (FFM) confirmation that people were exposed to sarin, a chemical weapon, on 4 April 2017 in the Khan Sheikhun area of Syria
"I would like to express my deep concern in relation to the confirmation by the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) that sarin nerve gas was used in the attack in Khan Sheikoun in Idlib province on the 4th of April 2017. The FFM has recently issued its report which is the subject of discussions at an Executive Council meeting of the OPCW, taking place today in The Hague.
"The attack in Khan Sheikhoun, which left 80 people dead, many of them children, was utterly barbaric and I condemn it unreservedly. This attack underlined the need for full accountability for war crimes in Syria. Those responsible for this appalling act and for all war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated in Syria must be held accountable for their actions.
Ireland’s Permanent Representative to the OPCW will attend this morning’s Executive Council meeting and will deliver a statement conveying Ireland’s condemnation of this appalling crime against humanity."