A webinar presented by the IBA’s Human Rights Institute and the IBA Human Rights Law Committee
One year after the fall of the Assad regime, Syria has been navigating a new political landscape under the transitional leadership of President al-Sharaa. Although the circumstances of the transition and the authorities vested in the new leadership remain fluid, the past year has seen a series of actions that have contributed to the creation of new rights and justice framework in the country. Syria has witnessed initial attempts to stabilise security conditions, open limited political space and enhance engagement with civil society. At the same time, many communities continue to face protection risks, uneven governance and gaps in accountability for past and ongoing violations remain rife.
Questions persist regarding the independence of the judiciary, future of missing persons and the structure of transitional justice mechanisms capable of responding to the scale of atrocities in Syria’s past and related trauma.
This webinar will bring together Syrian human rights and legal experts, civil society representatives and academics to critically assess the first year of the transitional period under al-Sharaa’s government. The discussion will explore the extent to which early steps taken by the new leadership have affected rights protections, rule of law reform, legal and institutional rebuilding efforts and advanced pathways to truth, justice and reconciliation. Experts will also identify what opportunities exist to anchor a genuine transition.
As we are limited to 1,000 registrants, we request that you please only register for this event if you will be attending.
Resources
Nour Taha, 'Rebuilding and Strengthening Syria’s State Institutions', Arab Center (December 23, 2024), available at https://arabcenterdc.org/resource/rebuilding-and-strengthening-syrias-state-institutions
International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ), 'Reports on Transitional Justice Practices in Syria', UN OHCHR, available at https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/issues/transitionaljustice/cfis/2024-sdg16/subm-ohchr-lessons-learned-cso-international-center-transitional-ju-stice.pdf
'Recent Developments in Syria: Between Military Gains and Future Challenges', Harmoon Center for Contemporary Studies (December 4, 2024), available at www.harmoon.org/?p=39778
John Balouziyeh, Hope and a Future: The Story of Syrian Refugees (Time Books, 2017), available at wwww.amazon.com/Hope-Future-Syrian-Refugees-Refugee/dp/1681090074
Bassam Alahmad, 'Transitional Justice in Syria: Between Optimism and Realism – sliding toward "Victor’s Justice"?' The International Journal of Transitional Justice (8 January 2026), available at https://academic.oup.com/ijtj/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ijtj/ijaf026/8417213
Radwan Ziadeh, 'Time for Transitional Justice and National Reconciliation in Syria', Arab Center (April 8, 2016), available athttps://arabcenterdc.org/resource/time-for-transitional-justice-and-national-reconciliation-in-syria
SNHR’s Vision for Transitional Justice in Syria
Fadel Abdulghany, Transitional Justice
