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UN official urges comprehensive transitional justice as thousands remain detained
Summary
A United Nations agency official called for a transitional justice law that covers all perpetrators and for due process as the government reports nearly 6,000 detainees linked to the former regime and the speaker cited attendance at the Atif Najib trial as an opportunity for accountability.
A United Nations agency official urged that Syria’s transitional justice process be comprehensive and impartial, saying the draft law under preparation "must cover all perpetrators of atrocity crimes, not just those associated with the Assad regime," and that it should recognize and address survivors' experiences of conflict-related sexual violence.
The official reported government figures that "5,989 persons linked to the former regime are in detention and awaiting prosecution for crimes allegedly committed after 2011," and said these developments underscore the challenges and public frustration surrounding transitional justice.
The speaker also said they attended the third hearing in the trial of Atif Najib and other defendants charged in connection with repression of 2011 demonstrations, characterizing those proceedings as "a key opportunity to demonstrate serious commitment to accountability and due process." The official urged that trials and investigations be conducted with due process safeguards.
Citing international judicial action, the official noted that a court in The Netherlands sentenced on June 15 a paramilitary member linked to the former regime to 26 years for crimes against humanity, using that ruling as an example of transnational accountability.
The official stressed that addressing past abuses should be done "swiftly, yes, but also fairly," referenced recent findings confirming the killing of the children of Ranjal Abbasi, and called for efforts to establish truth, accountability, survivor assistance and closure.
The UN speaker said the office is working with the Syrian authorities, the National Commission for Transitional Justice, the Ministry of Justice, and civil society to support drafting and implementation of the law and related mechanisms.
