Syrian rights groups condemn government for blocking justice workshop
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The event’s organizers were informed of the cancellation by the hotel management without any explanation or official justification.
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A man rests in his shop in Aleppo city, Syria, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025 (AP)
Human rights organizations in Syria have condemned the last-minute cancellation of a justice workshop they had planned to hold in Damascus, accusing the country’s transitional government of obstructing accountability efforts.
Ensuring justice for victims of crimes committed during the war, which began in 2011, remains a critical issue for Syria following the ousting of Bashar al-Assad by factions led by the Islamist Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group in December.
"The abrupt decision to ban the holding of this meeting... constitutes a flagrant violation of fundamental rights," the groups stated in a joint declaration on Thursday.
They explained that "this arbitrary measure reflects an approach which undermines the principles of transparency and participation and threatens the chances of delivering justice."
"It reminds us of the conditions we lived under before the victory of December 8," the statement added.
While numerous former officials from al-Assad’s government and security forces have been accused of war crimes, allegations have also been leveled against groups responsible for his overthrow.
"It's possible that some officials considered that the presence of non-governmental organisations which documented the crimes and abuses that were perpetrated in Syria, and not just by the regime, risked one day putting them in a position where they would face accusations," the rights groups asserted.
According to the statement, the event’s organizers were informed of the cancellation by the hotel management without any explanation or official justification.
The latest incident raised questions about the new government’s commitment to its pledge of abandoning the repressive policies that the Syrian people have long endured.
The organizations also reached out to the Syrian Foreign Ministry, which confirmed that the workshop would not proceed as it had not obtained the necessary official approval.
However, in their statement, the groups asserted that they had completed all necessary preparations and had already secured authorization for the event.
A Syrian interim government official stated that the Foreign Ministry would issue an explanation regarding the decision at a later time.
The organizations involved in the workshop included the Caesar Files for Justice, the Syrian Archive, the Al Share' Media Foundation, and the Syrian Center for Legal Studies and Research.
It is noteworthy that during the opening session of the Syrian National Dialogue Conference, Syria’s transitional leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, announced the formation of a body to oversee transitional justice.
He emphasized the need to establish the Syrian state on the foundation of the rule of law and called on all parties to uphold legal principles.
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