A coalition of 27 Syrian civil society organizations and victims’ groups has released a new report proposing a practical framework for criminal accountability in Syria, as the first trials begin to move forward in Damascus. The report, titled Pathways to Criminal Accountability in Syria, aims to ensure that justice processes are credible, inclusive, and consistent with international legal standards.
The initiative follows an eight-month consultative process involving Syrian legal experts, victims’ and survivors’ groups, and civil society actors. According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, the report brings together diverse Syrian perspectives on how accountability should be pursued after years of impunity and widespread human rights violations.
The proposed framework focuses on several core principles, including the proper legal characterization of crimes under international law, strong procedural safeguards, fair trial guarantees, and meaningful participation by victims. These elements are presented as essential conditions for building public trust and ensuring that accountability efforts do not become symbolic or politically selective.
The publication comes at a critical moment for Syria, where initial steps toward criminal accountability are being taken inside the country. While civil society organizations have welcomed these developments as an important shift after years of impunity, they also warned that trials must be conducted with clear legal standards, transparency, and safeguards that protect victims’ rights.
Representatives of the participating organizations said the report reflects a shared effort by Syrian civil society and victims’ groups to define what credible accountability should look like at this stage. They emphasized that emerging justice processes must be grounded in principles that secure justice for victims and strengthen long-term legitimacy.
The report is also intended to guide international engagement with Syria’s accountability process. The authors called on international actors, including the United Nations, the European Union, and key states, to use the framework when assessing and supporting criminal justice efforts related to Syria.
For Syrian victims, survivors, and rights groups, the central message is clear: accountability must be more than the opening of trials. It must be a rights-based, victim-centered process that follows international standards, protects fair trial principles, and contributes to a broader path toward justice and the rule of law in Syria.
