Calls for community partnership to ensure success of Transitional Justice in Syria

More than a year and a half after the fall of the Baath regime, efforts to hold perpetrators accountable and uncover the fate of the missing remain at the forefront of Syria's transitional justice process. However, legal experts and researchers stress that the success of this process should not be measured by the number of trials or court rulings, but by its ability to address the root causes of violations, involve society in reforming state institutions, and rebuild trust among Syrians.

The principles adopted by the United Nations in transitional justice experiences indicate that the judiciary is one of the pillars of justice, but not the only one. The transitional phase also requires parallel efforts to uncover the truth, provide reparations, reform institutions, and ensure that violations are not repeated.

In this context, political and human rights researcher Khaled Jabr said that courts are essential to ending impunity and holding those responsible for violations accountable, but they alone cannot address the broad and complex legacy left by the Syrian conflict.

He explained that transitional justice also requires uncovering the truth, documenting violations, determining the fate of the missing and those forcibly disappeared, enabling victims to testify, providing reparations through compensation, restoring rights, offering psychological support, and officially recognizing victims.

Jabr added that reforming the security, military, judicial, and administrative institutions, reviewing legislation that enabled violations, and adopting professional and human rights-based standards in governance and oversight are fundamental to preventing future abuses. He also emphasized the importance of strengthening the rule of law, the separation of powers, and the role of independent media and civil society.

He noted that social reconciliation is an important component of transitional justice, but it cannot replace accountability or become a means of escaping punishment. He stressed that successful reconciliation requires the participation and consent of victims. Given the multiplicity of conflict actors, the scale of violations, and the presence of millions of refugees and displaced people, Syria requires a comprehensive approach that goes beyond judicial proceedings alone.

Meanwhile, Syrian journalist specializing in Kurdish affairs and researcher on political, human rights, and violation-related issues, Abdul Halim Suleiman, argued that preventing future violations begins with addressing their intellectual and social roots. He said education is the most important tool for reshaping public awareness and promoting a culture of acceptance and human rights, while the media plays an equally important role in influencing public opinion and promoting coexistence when guided by clear strategies rather than inflammatory and polarizing rhetoric.

He explained that Syria's educational curricula, both before and during the conflict, failed to adequately promote a culture of pluralism. He pointed out that some limited initiatives, such as introducing educational materials that promote linguistic and cultural diversity in areas under the Autonomous Administration, have contributed in this direction, but they still require a comprehensive national framework that strengthens citizenship and pluralism, free from ethnic or ideological exclusivity.

He added that the absence of community initiatives over past decades, combined with regional interventions and developments in the conflict, has deepened social divisions and turned many violations into cycles of retaliation and revenge. This, he said, makes the creation of genuine community initiatives essential for restoring Syria's social fabric.

On local reconciliation efforts, Syrian journalist Abdul Halim Suleiman stressed that they are an important tool for rebuilding trust among Syrian communities, given the close social and family ties between the country's diverse groups. However, he said such initiatives can only achieve their goals if they are carried out within a clear transitional justice framework that combines judicial accountability, reparations, and community dialogue, rather than turning reconciliation into a substitute for justice.

For her part, Kurdish journalist and civil society activist Shilan Khidr agreed that sustainable transitional justice in Syria cannot be achieved without the active participation of civil society organizations. She noted that during the years of war, these organizations played a vital role in documenting violations, providing legal and psychological support to victims, and preserving testimonies and evidence that now form a key foundation for accountability and truth-seeking efforts.

Khidr therefore argued that the role of civil society organizations should not be limited to consultation. Instead, they should become genuine partners in shaping policies, setting priorities, monitoring the implementation of transitional justice mechanisms, and representing victims.

The Kurdish journalist further stressed that after fourteen years of war, the success of transitional justice in Syria should not be measured solely by the number of trials, but by its ability to include victims and their representatives in building the process.

Warning of the consequences of excluding civil society, she said: "The absence or marginalization of civil society organizations could undermine public trust in the process and weaken its legitimacy. It would also reduce the chances of achieving national reconciliation and weaken the safeguards needed to prevent future violations."

Experts emphasize that international experience has shown that relying solely on prosecutions, without reforming education, the media, and public institutions or involving society in reconciliation efforts, leaves the root causes of conflict unresolved and makes peace fragile.

ANHA