Documentation

For over 10 years, SJAC has collected and documented violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in Syria with the aim of facilitating current and future transitional justice and accountability efforts. Our team of eight documenters is non-partisan, ethnically diverse, and includes both men and women inside Syria and neighboring countries working to preserve evidence of violations regardless of the affiliation or identity of the victim or perpetrators.

SJAC’s documenters collect interviews with survivors of serious violations, including detention, torture, and sexual violence, as well as physical documents, photos, and videos. Furthermore, a specialized team of SJAC's documenters focus on interviewing insider witnesses who provide in-depth information on crimes committed by the former Syrian government.

We adhere to documentation best practices including the principle of Do No Harm, obtaining informed consent and maintaining chain of custody. This field documentation is analyzed and linked to related evidence within SJAC’s database, ultimately informing SJAC’s public reports as well as UN mechanisms and prosecutors across Europe to support active criminal investigations.

Documentation Training

Utilizing our decade of experience in the field, SJAC offers expertise, guidance, and training to other documenters in Syria and around the world. Our live and online training resources prepare documentation teams to safely, ethically, and accurately collect high quality documentation and preserve it for use in transitional justice efforts.

More information on our documentation training resources can be found below