Formation of a Legal Committee to Follow Up on Cases of Victims of Violations in Syria
The Syrian Bar Association has announced the formation of a specialized committee tasked with following up on and representing the families of victims of arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, and extrajudicial killings in Syria, under a free official power of attorney.
In a statement issued yesterday, the Association explained that Syria has, for decades—particularly since 2011—witnessed grave, systematic, and widespread violations, including arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, and extrajudicial killings. These violations have resulted in the disappearance of hundreds of thousands of individuals, whose fate remains unknown to this day, constituting a flagrant and ongoing breach of human rights and the rule of law.
The Association emphasized that the consequences of enforced disappearance extend beyond the victims themselves, affecting their families and society as a whole. It stressed that uncovering the fate of the missing and the circumstances of their disappearance is an inherent right of families and a collective right of society. It also represents a fundamental pillar for achieving transitional justice, accountability, reparations, strengthening civil peace, and preventing the recurrence of such violations.
The Association further called for full cooperation between the committee and the Ministry of Justice, the Transitional Justice Commission, and the Commission for the Missing, through the provision of available information and data, in addition to supporting its efforts to deliver legal assistance to the families of the missing and those affected.
