Nearly two years after the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime, Syria faces mounting challenges in delivering meaningful justice following the recent death sentences meted out to Assad and top officials by a Damascus court.
Despite the symbolic weight of the verdicts, many Syrians, including activists and survivors of regime violence, doubt the sentences will bring true accountability or healing amid the country’s ongoing wounds from a 14-year civil war.
Death Sentences Mark a Symbolic Step but Raise Questions on Enforcement
In mid-August, a Syrian court convicted Bashar Assad and other high-ranking regime figures of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including premeditated murder, torture, and unlawful detention. Assad and many officials remain in exile, primarily in Russia, undermining prospects for enforcement.
Human rights activist Huda Khayti, a survivor of the 2013 chemical attack in eastern Ghouta that killed her brother and destroyed her home and women’s center, called the verdict “a good thing,” but emphasized it was mainly symbolic as Assad continues to live freely abroad.
Experts and activists note that while extradition agreements exist between Syria and Russia, political realities and legal conditions—such as restrictions around the death penalty—make it unlikely Assad or other fugitives will be returned to Syria to face punishment.
Transitional Justice Must Extend Beyond Trials to Victims’ Needs
Observers stress that transitional justice in Syria must go well beyond court verdicts. It should address a broad array of issues, including searching for missing persons, uncovering the truth behind mass crimes, and offering reparations and institutional reform. Centering survivors and victims’ participation is critical.
Rana Sheikh-Ali, whose organization uses technology to empower women and promote peace, highlighted that although many supporters view the death sentences as just, this legal step represents just one component of a much larger and complex process.
Khayti underscored the need for accountability not only for top regime leaders but also for other complicit individuals—such as those responsible for writing reports that led to torture and imprisonment at places like Saydnaya prison.
Challenges Persist in Addressing Syria’s Wartime Atrocities
Data from the Syrian Network for Human Rights paints a grim picture: over 234,805 civilians killed during the conflict, with regime forces responsible for at least 202,000 deaths; tens of thousands subjected to arbitrary arrest, enforced disappearance, and torture; and numerous chemical attacks documented.
New transitional justice bodies have been established by the Syrian government, including commissions aimed at addressing missing persons and regime crimes. Yet, their scope remains limited, excluding crimes by militias and extremist groups, and civil society continues to lead documentation and investigation efforts.
Sophie Bischoff of the German-Syrian group Adopt a Revolution noted that despite the historic convictions, much remains unclear about who will be held accountable and on what terms. The state’s systematic investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity has only just begun.
The Path Forward: Remembering, Rebuilding, and Demanding Justice
Returning regularly to her devastated hometown of Douma, Khayti confronts ongoing trauma but is committed to preserving the memory of the war and advocating for survivors’ voices to be heard.
She said, “We need to inform younger people about it so that the memory doesn’t fade.” Syrian victims and activists continue to demand a comprehensive, transparent, and victim-centered approach that covers all perpetrators and addresses all aspects of the conflict’s legacy.
Until the convicted face real accountability and survivors participate fully in the justice process, many Syrians see the death sentences as a starting point—not a conclusion—in their nation’s painful reckoning.
