The National Commission for Transitional Justice () is a Syrian governmental body tasked with addressing past human rights violations, ensuring accountability, and supporting national reconciliation. The Commission was established in 2025 to contribute to justice and healing in the aftermath of the

Assad regime Ba'athist Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic (SAR), was the Syrian state between 1963 and 2024 under the one-party rule of the Syrian regional branch of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party. From 1971 until its collapse in 2024, it was rule ...

’s abuses.

Background

Following years of conflict and systemic

human rights violations Human rights are universally recognized moral principles or norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both national and international laws. These rights are considered inherent and inalienable, meaning t ...

during the Syrian civil war, calls intensified for a national mechanism to address the legacies of past abuses.

Transitional justice Transitional justice is a process which responds to human rights violations through judicial redress, political reforms and cultural healing efforts and other measures in order to prevent the recurrence of human rights abuse in a region or countr ...

emerged as a key demand of victims' groups, civil society organizations, and international bodies seeking accountability and reconciliation.

Establishment

The commission was established on 17 May 2025 by Decree No. 20 of the year 2025, issued by President

Ahmed al-Sharaa Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa (born 29 October 1982) also known by his ''nom de guerre'' Abu Mohammad al-Julani, is a Syrian politician and former rebel commander serving as the president of Syria since January 2025. He previously served as the coun ...

. Abdulbaset Abdullatif was appointed as head of the commission and was given a deadline of 30 days from the date of the decree to form a working team and draft the internal regulations necessary for the functioning of the commission. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights,

Volker Türk Volker Türk (born 27 August 1965) is an Austrian lawyer and United Nations official. He has been the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights since October 2022. Career Early years In 1991, Türk became a UN Junior Professional Officer and ha ...

, welcomed the formation of the commission and said that its formation is an integral step towards building a better future for all Syrians. The

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

welcomed the formation of the commission, calling it an important step towards the comprehensive justice and truth which the Syrian people deserve.

Mandate

The commission’s primary responsibilities include: * Uncovering the truth about serious violations committed under the former regime. * Coordinating with relevant institutions to hold perpetrators accountable. * Providing

reparations Reparation(s) may refer to: Christianity * Reparation (theology), the theological concept of corrective response to God and the associated prayers for repairing the damages of sin * Restitution (theology), the Christian doctrine calling for re ...

to victims and their families. * Promoting guarantees of non-repetition and supporting processes of national reconciliation. A syrian official told ''

Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency ...

'' on 18 May that

Ibrahim Huweija Ibrahim Huweija () is a Syrian former intelligence officer who served as head of the Air Force Intelligence Directorate from 1987 until 2002 and was accused in the 1977 murder of Kamal Jumblatt. Early life Ibrahim Huweija was born in the vill ...

will be among those to stand trial.

Legal status and structure

The commission operates with full legal personality and enjoys administrative and financial independence. It carries out its mandate across the entire territory of Syria.

Criticism

The commission had been criticized for having its focus solely on atrocities committed by the Ba'athist regime, raising concerns about its exclusion of victims of other factions during the

civil war A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, including the opposition forces. Critics also questioned whether the commission's mandate would expand to include violent acts committed by forces associated with the new authorities.

Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Headquartered in New York City, the group investigates and reports on issues including War crime, war crimes, crim ...

stated that "the Transitional Justice Commission's mandate, as laid out in the decree, is troublingly narrow and excludes many victims", and that " hedecree limits its focus to crimes committed by the Assad government, excluding victims of abuses by non-state actors", adding that "recent atrocities and rising sectarian rhetoric underscore the urgent need for an inclusive transitional justice process—one for all Syrians, not just some".

References