PRIORITIES FOR THE BRUSSELS VIII CONFERENCE

Ahead of the 2024 Brussels VIII Conference, “Supporting the future of Syria and the region,” the Syria Justice and Accountability Center (SJAC) is outlining its policy priorities for EU member states. 2024 PRIORITIES FOR THE

Forensic Trainers Visit Raqqa, Assess Potential for Missing Persons Identifications

Last month, two forensic experts from the Guatemalan Forensic Anthropology Foundation (FAFG) travelled to Raqqa and Qamishli to meet with the Syrian Missing Persons and Forensic Team (SMFT) as well as SJAC’s missing persons

Financial Exclusion: The Struggle of Syrian Refugees in Europe

Marwa*, a Syrian refugee living in Belgium, faced a significant barrier to fully assimilating into Belgian society: her lack of a bank account. Opening a bank account in Europe is critical to participating in the

Inside the Alaa M. Trial #71: The Joker

Higher Regional Court – Frankfurt, Germany Trial Monitoring Summary #71 Hearing Date: March 19, 21 & 22, 2024 CAUTION: Some testimony includes descriptions of torture. Note that this summary is not a verbatim transcript of the trial;

42 Years After Hama: Rifaat Al-Assad Indicted in Swiss Court

On March 12th, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) of Switzerland indicted former Syrian Vice-President Rifaat Al-Assad for committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in connection with the 1982 Hama Massacre. The public

The State of Justice in Syria 2024

The “State of Justice in Syria, 2024” is the Syria Justice and Accountability Centre’s (SJAC’s) fifth annual report, focusing on human rights violations and justice efforts in Syria in 2023. This year, Syrians

Inside the Alaa M. Trial #70: The Accused and His Witnesses Under Scrutiny

Higher Regional Court – Frankfurt, Germany Trial Monitoring Summary #70 Hearing Date: March 14, 2024 CAUTION: Some testimony includes descriptions of torture. Note that this summary is not a verbatim transcript of the trial; it is

Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria Official Suspected in Recent ‘Honor Killing’

Washington, DC: March 14, 2024 On February 29th, 2024, SJAC received a report from its Documentation Team of an ‘honor killing’ which occurred on February 23rd in the town of Tell Tawil in Al-Hassakah Governorate.

Assad Regime Anti-Normalization Act Passes the House

The Assad Regime Anti-Normalization Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives on February 14, 2023, and is now being considered by the Senate, which appears likely to pass the legislation. The bill aims to

SJAC identifies 66 new ISIS prisons and 35 grave sites

Today, SJAC launched a new interactive map of northern Syria which includes 246 ISIS prisons and 63 grave sites. Of these, 66 prisons and 35 graves were made public for the first time. These locations

Inside the Alaa M. Trial #69: Young Blood

Higher Regional Court – Frankfurt, Germany Trial Monitoring Summary #69 Hearing Date: February 20, 2024 CAUTION: Some testimony includes descriptions of torture. Note that this summary is not a verbatim transcript of the trial; it is

The ISIS Prison at Mansura Dam: Investigating the Fates of Detainees

Inside the Alaa M. Trial #68: Kalashnikovs, not Flowers

Higher Regional Court – Frankfurt, Germany Trial Monitoring Summary #68 Hearing Date: February 6 & 8, 2024 CAUTION: Some testimony includes descriptions of torture. Note that this summary is not a verbatim transcript of the trial; it

Inside the Alaa M. Trial #67: Is Hiding the Truth the Same as Telling a Lie?

Higher Regional Court – Frankfurt, Germany Trial Monitoring Summary #67 Hearing Date: January 30 & February 1, 2024 CAUTION: Some testimony includes descriptions of torture. Note that this summary is not a verbatim transcript of the trial;

They Spared No One: Barrel Bomb Attacks on Civilians in Syria

0:00/1× The below interactive map displays 350 verified barrel bomb attacks perpetrated by the Syrian government These incidents formed the foundation for SJAC's documentary View a full screen version of this map here

Inside the Alaa M. Trial #66: R.I.P. Mr. Farrag

Higher Regional Court – Frankfurt, Germany Trial Monitoring Summary #66 Hearing Date: January 23 & 25, 2024 CAUTION: Some testimony includes descriptions of torture. Note that this summary is not a verbatim transcript of the trial; it

Inside the Alaa M. Trial #62: A Drop at a Time

Higher Regional Court – Frankfurt, Germany Trial Monitoring Summary #62 Hearing Date: December 5 & 7, 2023 CAUTION: Some testimony includes descriptions of torture. Note that this summary is not a verbatim transcript of the trial; it

A review of Universal Jurisdiction for Syria in 2023

Even before SJAC began monitoring the daily proceedings of key Syrian trials, it has comprehensively surveyed the justice landscape to compile the most complete set of data on Universal Jurisdiction trials related to and impacting

Inside the Alaa M. Trial #65: The Missing Interpreter

Higher Regional Court – Frankfurt, Germany Trial Monitoring Summary #65 Hearing Date: January 15, 16 & 18, 2024 CAUTION: Some testimony includes descriptions of torture. Note that this summary is not a verbatim transcript of the trial;

Inside the Alaa M. Trial #64: Al-Bunni: Second Act

Higher Regional Court – Frankfurt, Germany Trial Monitoring Summary #64 Hearing Date: December 19 & 21, 2023 CAUTION: Some testimony includes descriptions of torture. Note that this summary is not a verbatim transcript of the trial; it

2023 Updates to SJAC’s Bayanat Database

In 2023, SJAC’s relational database Bayanat, underwent a series of transformative updates, improving security, efficiency, and user experience. This article looks at some of the most important changes to Bayanat and highlights how Bayanat

Inside the Alaa M. Trial #63: O Brother Where Art Thou?

Higher Regional Court – Frankfurt, Germany Trial Monitoring Summary #63 Hearing Date: December 14, 2023 CAUTION: Some testimony includes descriptions of torture. Note that this summary is not a verbatim transcript of the trial; it is

Inside the Alaa M. Trial #61: When the Plaster Starts Crumbling

Higher Regional Court – Frankfurt, Germany Trial Monitoring Summary #61 Hearing Date: November 14, 2023 CAUTION: Some testimony includes descriptions of torture. Note that this summary is not a verbatim transcript of the trial; it is

Inside the Alaa M. Trial #60: Al Agi on the Defensive

Higher Regional Court – Frankfurt, Germany Trial Monitoring Summary #60 Hearing Date: November 7 & 9, 2023 CAUTION: Some testimony includes descriptions of torture. Note that this summary is not a verbatim transcript of the trial; it

Forgotten in Transitional Justice: Syrians with Disabilities

Over 30 percent of the Syrian population is disabled—a number far above the global average of 15 percent. Physical and mental disabilities amongst the Syrian population are in large part due to conflict-related violence,