Syria's fragile peace hangs in the balance as the country struggles to hold perpetrators accountable for war crimes committed during the Assad regime. The government has established two bodies to oversee transitional justice, but critics say the process is slow and opaque.
Ziad al-Amayiri's family photographs lay before him, a stark reminder of the 10 loved ones he has lost to the National Defence Forces (NDF), a militia loyal to Bashar al-Assad accused of atrocities like the 2013 Tadamon massacre. Al-Amayiri's threat was clear: if justice is not served, he will take it upon himself.
Saqr, a former NDF commander, denies any links to the Tadamon massacre, but his release from detention despite allegations of involvement has fueled outrage among Syrians. The government claims Saqr's safe passage was necessary to avoid bloodshed, but many see it as a tacit endorsement of his actions.
The lack of accountability is driving frustration and revenge killings across Syria. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 1,301 people have died in retaliatory actions since the fall of the Assad regime. Families of the hundreds of thousands of forcibly disappeared Syrians are demanding answers, but critics say the government's efforts to investigate these disappearances are half-hearted.
The National Commission on Missing Persons is working to uncover the truth about those who vanished during the war, but experts warn that resources and capacity are still lacking. "We need to do very hard work on building capacity, preparing the infrastructure, collecting data, analyzing data, and equipping laboratories," said Mohammad Reda Jalkhi.
Another major hurdle in the transitional justice process is the lack of transparency. While the government has made dozens of arrests, many questions remain unanswered about what happened to those detained and whether they are being held in secret facilities.
The Assad regime's legal system still needs significant reform, but Syrians eagerly await public trials for war crimes. For Ziad al-Amayiri, seeing Saqr face trial would be a crucial step towards justice. However, his primary desire is to have a grave to visit, to mourn his loved ones and know that they are buried there.
As Syria's fragile peace hangs in the balance, the international community must pressure the government to do more to hold perpetrators accountable. The people of Syria demand justice, not just for their families but for themselves.
Ziad al-Amayiri's family photographs lay before him, a stark reminder of the 10 loved ones he has lost to the National Defence Forces (NDF), a militia loyal to Bashar al-Assad accused of atrocities like the 2013 Tadamon massacre. Al-Amayiri's threat was clear: if justice is not served, he will take it upon himself.
Saqr, a former NDF commander, denies any links to the Tadamon massacre, but his release from detention despite allegations of involvement has fueled outrage among Syrians. The government claims Saqr's safe passage was necessary to avoid bloodshed, but many see it as a tacit endorsement of his actions.
The lack of accountability is driving frustration and revenge killings across Syria. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 1,301 people have died in retaliatory actions since the fall of the Assad regime. Families of the hundreds of thousands of forcibly disappeared Syrians are demanding answers, but critics say the government's efforts to investigate these disappearances are half-hearted.
The National Commission on Missing Persons is working to uncover the truth about those who vanished during the war, but experts warn that resources and capacity are still lacking. "We need to do very hard work on building capacity, preparing the infrastructure, collecting data, analyzing data, and equipping laboratories," said Mohammad Reda Jalkhi.
Another major hurdle in the transitional justice process is the lack of transparency. While the government has made dozens of arrests, many questions remain unanswered about what happened to those detained and whether they are being held in secret facilities.
The Assad regime's legal system still needs significant reform, but Syrians eagerly await public trials for war crimes. For Ziad al-Amayiri, seeing Saqr face trial would be a crucial step towards justice. However, his primary desire is to have a grave to visit, to mourn his loved ones and know that they are buried there.
As Syria's fragile peace hangs in the balance, the international community must pressure the government to do more to hold perpetrators accountable. The people of Syria demand justice, not just for their families but for themselves.
. Like, they're setting up these fancy bodies and processes, but it's all just a bunch of empty promises. The Assad regime's gonna keep on doing what it's always done: cover its tracks and protect its mates.
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. I mean, 1,301 deaths from revenge killings? It's devastating. The government's trying to set up these transitional justice bodies, but they're slow and secretive. You just need transparency and fairness. It's not just about punishment; it's about closure for families like Ziad al-Amayiri's. He wants a grave to visit his loved ones, that's what matters most.
so many lives lost on both sides... gotta keep pushing 4 transparency n accountability 
And the lack of transparency in the transitional justice process is killing me 
The government needs to step up their game and make sure that those responsible for war crimes face trial. Saqr's release from detention is super shady 
We need the international community to put some pressure on the government to do better 
. It's so frustrating that the government is moving too slow on transitional justice 
. We need to see more progress, like Saqr facing trial 
. The international community needs to step up and put pressure on the government to do more 
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. We need more transparency, more resources, and more action from the government 
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. We need to support them in holding their government accountable 
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. It sends the wrong message and emboldens other perpetrators to think they can get away with their crimes too. The government needs to be transparent about its investigations and not just sweep things under the rug.
. When are we going to see some real progress on this? The people of Syria deserve justice, and it's time for the international community to hold them accountable too. We can't keep putting pressure on Syria while also criticizing its lack of progress... that's just not fair 
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...i think the international community needs to step up and help syria get its transitional justice process on track, not just with money but also by pushing for public trials for war crimes 
I'm low-key worried about this situation in Syria... these transitional justice bodies sound like they're moving way too slow and it's all super opaque. I mean, what's the point of having them if they're just gonna sweep things under the rug? 
And Saqr's release from detention is a huge red flag - if the government's just gonna let people accused of war crimes walk free without even going to trial, that just perpetuates more violence and trauma. It's like, where's the accountability? 
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. It's like, how are we supposed to trust them when everything is shrouded in secrecy? 
. It's like they're playing a game of cat and mouse where innocent lives are at stake 
. The fact that the government is struggling to hold people accountable for war crimes makes me think that they're more concerned with saving face than making things right 
. Can't we just have a system where the perpetrators are held accountable without having to resort to revenge killings? 
the situation in syria is so heartbreaking... it feels like the world is moving forward while syria is stuck in the past 
. the lack of accountability is driving people crazy and it's only going to get worse if something doesn't change soon 
. i mean, 1,301 deaths since the regime fell is just staggering 
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. but at the same time, i'm glad to see that some people like mohammad reda jalkhi are working hard to build capacity and collect data 
. maybe if we put more pressure on the government to reform their legal system and make public trials happen for war crimes, things might start to look up again 
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. The fact that Saqr, a former NDF commander, was released from detention despite allegations is just infuriating 
. The government needs to step up their game and start holding people accountable for their actions. Ziad al-Amayiri's family deserves justice, and so do the hundreds of thousands of forcibly disappeared Syrians 
. We need to see public trials for war crimes and real change, not just empty promises 
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the international community needs to step in and put pressure on the gov to do more 
and we should be supporting them on this, not just talkin bout transitional justice 