Syria's New Government Faces Crucial Opportunity to Break with a Legacy of Grave Human Rights Violations

As the Syrian government transitions to a new era, Amnesty International emphasizes the importance of addressing the country's devastating legacy of human rights abuses. The new government, led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa, has a unique opportunity to break with the past and ensure that such atrocities never occur again. However, immediate concrete steps towards justice, truth, and reparation are crucial to achieve this. Between 2011 and 2024, Amnesty documented widespread crimes under international law, including war crimes and crimes against humanity, committed by the former government.

Key Takeaways:

The Syrian government must take immediate concrete steps towards justice, truth, and reparation that address the country's devastating legacy of abuses.
Amnesty has outlined priority steps for the authorities to achieve this, including ensuring the meaningful participation of survivors, victims, and Syrian civil society organizations throughout the process and maximum transparency.
The authorities must ensure that all those suspected of criminal responsibility for crimes against humanity, war crimes, torture, and enforced disappearance are brought to justice in fair trials before ordinary civilian courts, in accordance with international law.
The Syrian government has pledged a new approach, allowing Syrian and international human rights organizations to work without interference, consulting with Syrian civil society, and granting unfettered access.
The international community must support the Syrian people in their pursuit of truth, justice, and reparation.
Providing justice, truth, and reparation is one of the most urgent issues in Syria today, with tens of thousands of families awaiting news of their missing loved ones.
The new government must rectify this by ensuring full, meaningful inclusion of victims and their representatives in shaping the National High Commission for Missing Persons' mandate, operational framework, and oversight mechanisms.
The government must also create reparation programmes informed by survivors and victims' families that deliver comprehensive remedies that acknowledge victims' suffering and help rebuild lives.
Undertaking human rights-based reforms is crucial to prevent a repeat of violations and cycles of violence, including rigorous vetting of government officials, military leaders, and appointed figures suspected of criminal responsibility.

Statistics:

Between 2011 and 2024, Amnesty documented widespread crimes under international law, including war crimes and crimes against humanity, committed by the former government.
Tens of thousands of families in Syria still await news of their missing loved ones after nearly none re-emerged after the fall of the Assad government on 8 December 2024.
The Syrian government has a unique opportunity to break with the past and ensure that such atrocities never occur again.
Amnesty has outlined priority steps for the authorities to achieve this, including ensuring the meaningful participation of survivors, victims, and Syrian civil society organizations throughout the process and maximum transparency.
The authorities must ensure that all those suspected of criminal responsibility for crimes against humanity, war crimes, torture, and enforced disappearance are brought to justice in fair trials before ordinary civilian courts, in accordance with international law.

Sources:

Amnesty International's report, 'Syria: A new government, a new chance for justice' (2025)
Constitutional Declaration, adopted on 13 March 2025
Article 49 of the Constitutional Declaration, adopted on 13 March 2025
Amnesty International's social media post, 'Syria's new government must break with the past and ensure justice for victims of human rights abuses' (2025)
Kristine Beckerle, Amnesty International's Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa: 'Delaying justice will only heighten the risk of further bloodshed'