Source: Amnesty International –
As people in Syria mark one year since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad’s government, Amnesty International reiterates the urgent need for Syria’s new authorities to break with the past and commit to delivering justice, truth and reparations while securing human rights for all.
Over the past year, the decades of repression and systematic human rights violations that were committed under the Assad government have continued to deeply affect the country, with victims and survivors still waiting to see their rights to truth, justice and reparation realised. The new government, led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa and formed on 29 March 2025, has pledged to break with this legacy, and has taken some measures towards justice and accountability, but challenges remain.
Syrian authorities must act decisively to build a rights-respecting future for Syrians who have suffered so much already. The government must strictly adhere to international human rights standards particularly on due process rights, including for suspects of past and current crimes.
Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International
In addition to crimes of the past, the new government’s response to serious violations committed since they came to power, including sectarian-based killings in the coastal and southern regions of Syria, will be a litmus test of its commitment to pursuing justice and accountability. Armed groups opposed to the government have also committed serious abuses including unlawful killings, abductions and burning of homes.
“During a recent trip to Syria, survivors, families of victims and local organizations spoke of their hunger for truth and justice for past and current human rights violations. The challenges are many, and the task monumental, but we saw the energy, effort and commitment of those who want to work together to build a new rights-respecting Syria, from the mothers and wives who came together to demand answers about their missing sons and husbands, to survivors of the recent massacres who documented what happened to their communities, to those leading civic efforts, to others who have joined the national commissions to deliver on truth, justice and reparation,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.
“Syrian authorities must act decisively to build a rights-respecting future for Syrians who have suffered so much already. The government must strictly adhere to international human rights standards particularly on due process rights, including for suspects of past and current crimes. They must signal a zero-tolerance approach to any new violations to avoid spiralling back into old cycles of impunity for atrocities. They must enhance protection of the space for civil society to independently contribute towards this transition away from Assad-era violations.”