Syria is a school of atrocity. As Russia has trained terror against civilians before Ukraine

There she learned to use the destruction of civilian life as a means of war. After the invasion, the team and I began to document Russia's attacks at Ukrainian hospitals. Syria's bitter experience is what we have learned immediately. Syria in peacetime in GDP level was only a little inferior to Ukraine. In 2011, the people's uprising against the authoritarian regime of Assad went, as we would say now, according to the Belarusian scenario.

Unexpectedly, the cruel and brutal response of the regime raised the level of violence to the point of non -return - the Civil War. Then external forces intervened in the war. And when Russia came on the doopy regime, the war turned into something beyond humanity. Assad troops, with the support of the Russians, not only beat and killed people for the fight against the regime - they destroyed cities as an act of punishment. The regime used chemical weapons against their own peaceful people.

He destroyed hospitals where the rebels were allegedly treated. He stole and tortured the doctors who worked in them. Russia enthusiastically helped. 90% of all attacks at the hospital were assisted with Assad with Russia. Of these, almost half are on the conscience of Russian pilots of aircraft and helicopters.

In Syria, they learned the criminal tactics of a "double blow" - when a second attack on the object was carried out immediately after the first to kill the rescuers who came to disassemble the gaps. These Russian pilots tried to do the same in Ukraine. One of them in March 2022 dropped the bombs to the Chernihiv Cardiology Center and was shot down by Tro fighters. Thanks to our Air Force forces, Russian pilots failed to commit their crimes in Ukraine as free as in Syria.

And after 13 years of war, broken lives of five million refugees, thousands of dead, hundreds of destroyed hospitals, dozens of mutilated cities, Assad regime falls in a week. With the complete indifference of people, their own army, security forces, and most importantly, Russia, whose troops were the only one that was supported by tyranny. This is all that is worth the so -called "power" of authoritarian power, which many believe in.

All of these modes seem strong, but in fact they are barely standing on the thin tug legs of the power apparatus - their own or someone else. The people of Syria are difficult times. The overthrow of the regime will not automatically bring democracy and freedom. But in their people at least hope appeared after so many years of grief. And for myself I make such conclusions.

Authoritarian leaders, when they want to come to power, say that difficult problems are easy to solve if you hit them with a strong hand. What welfare will come when to punish the perpetrators. What are the guilty we will find quickly. What is bad is forbidden. We will oblige everyone to all the good. But when they are in power, they bring economic stagnation, fear, arbitrariness, chaos. But to change something late: the power that people liked in the beginning are turning against them.

Tirans come to power as popular "courageous leaders", "progressive reformers", "parents of the nation" - and then with a spooky brutality and cynicism destroy those who greeted their arrival yesterday. The shocked audience sees that yesterday's hero of the people - a maniac and a killer, just came to the threat of his power, which he now gives no one. The worst thing is the war not with an external enemy, but a war of people against power or some people from others within the country.

Democracy can be prevented best, which allows you to quarrel, to put up, to scandal on social networks, to protest on the street, to choose very bad power, then just bad, quarrel again, to put up again - but to be together, to feel at home and to have hope. Democracy will never kill their people, will not poison them with gas, will not destroy hospitals. Democracy does not always and does not immediately give well -being and never gives a light life, but always leaves hope.