A group of Syrian civil society organizations, survivor groups, and families of victims of various violations in Syria held a historic Syrian dialogue on justice, truth, and fairness, attended by the caretaker government’s Deputy Minister of Justice for Legal Affairs and Studies, Judge Khitam Haddad. The dialogue, which took place in Damascus on January 24–25, reviewed key achievements in justice, truth, and fairness efforts led by participating organizations and groups.
Participants identified opportunities and challenges requiring further work and practical steps to advance justice efforts in Syria after the fall of the tyrannical Assad’s regime, from both a legal-judicial and a societal perspective. They unanimously agreed on the importance of justice and accountability in achieving civil peace and community recovery in Syria.
Through her participation, Deputy Minister of Justice in the caretaker government, Judge Khitam Haddad, emphasized the need to submit the dialogue’s recommendations and outcomes to the Ministry of Justice to benefit from the expertise of the participating organizations, which are essential for critical justice-related files such as transitional justice and enforced disappearances in Syria.
The dialogue’s working groups produced clear and specific recommendations on pressing issues, including: Recognizing and acknowledging the suffering of war crime victims in Syria, protecting documents and mass graves, ensuring security under the rule of law, and guaranteeing that accountability and transitional justice processes remain independent, transparent, and inclusive.
Additionally, mid-term recommendations focused on building a state of institutions committed to citizenship and human rights principles, ensuring: Revealing the fate of forcibly disappeared persons, ending forced displacement and camps, promoting a comprehensive justice approach that includes and centers victims’ participation and perspectives, and leveraging civil society expertise.
Mohammad al-Bakri from the Task Force of Survivors of Chemical Attacks in Syria said:
“The Assad’s regime and its allies have worked tirelessly to deny the truth and silence survivors and witnesses to its crimes, including chemical attacks. Today, we all recognize the importance of documenting these crimes and continuing to push for justice and accountability, ensuring these atrocities never happen again”.
Hasna Issa from Warsheh Team – ‘My Nationality is My Right’ Campaign said:
“For the past five years, Warsheh Team has been working on statelessness issues, and this meeting was a crucial opportunity for us to highlight the plight of children rendered stateless by the war in Syria. Despite being a fundamental human rights issue recognized internationally, it remains completely neglected in Syria. We demand Syrian women’s right to pass nationality to their children and spouses. The absence of this right exacerbates the problem of statelessness and reduces Syrian women to second-class citizens. We look forward to changing these laws in Syria’s future”.
Zilan Ali from Lêlûn Association for Victims said:
“We document violations in Afrin, which is under the control of factions from the Syrian National Army, and we support victims of displacement and enforced disappearance. Our meeting with Syrian organizations was an important opportunity to exchange expertise and strengthen efforts to achieve justice and fairness for all”.
Wafa Mustafa from The Syria Campaign said:
“One of the challenges we faced during the dialogue was our differing priorities and approaches. However, it was also a major opportunity to develop a shared and just vision that reflects the scale of Syria’s catastrophe and the collective efforts for justice. Today, Syria is not fully free as long as bombardment and Israeli expansion continue in the south, and Turkish airstrikes and ongoing battles persist in the northeast. This presents an additional challenge: ensuring that efforts do not focus only on certain regions while neglecting others. Syria’s stability can only be achieved through an inclusive approach that encompasses all its regions and communities”.
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