Syrian Arab Republic - May 2025

On 17 May, two presidential decrees established the National Commission for Transitional Justice (NCTJ) and the National Commission for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared (NCM). According to the transitional government, the commissions are intended to provide access to truth, accountability, and redress for victims of the civil war. The NCTJ will be mandated to investigate serious human rights violations committed during the conflict, with a scope limited to crimes attributed to the former Assad regime. The NCM will be responsible for documenting cases of enforced disappearance, developing a national database, and assisting families to locate missing relatives. Its mandate applies to all cases of missing and forcibly disappeared persons, regardless of the responsible party. Overall, observers described the creation of the commissions as a step forward in the establishment of national transitional justice mechanisms, while noting that their effectiveness will depend on implementation.

Sources: Syrian Arab News Agency, Syria TV, Presidency of the Syrian Arab Republic (1), Presidency of the Syrian Arab Republic (2), The International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism, Justice Info (1), Justice Info (2)