Syrian Foreign Ministry representative Yaser al-Farhan said at the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council that Syria’s judicial system had begun a national process to hold those responsible for past violations accountable. He said the process is based on the constitutional declaration, national legislation and international standards. The Specialized Criminal Court has already issued rulings in five cases and is considering 12 more, while 69 cases are before an investigating judge.
As part of the transitional justice process, 1,147 cases are under investigation and around 1,333 files have been referred to the prosecution service. Al-Farhan stressed that the courts are committed to fair-trial guarantees, including open hearings, access for international observers and human rights organizations, the right to a defense, contact with families, the participation of victims and the independence of judicial proceedings. He also described Syria’s inclusion for the first time under the Council’s agenda item two, rather than item four, as a sign of a new phase and a rejection of the systematic violations of the past.
The representative also discussed the work of the National Authority for Missing Persons. The institution is developing its own organizational structure and legal framework in consultation with victims’ families and civil society. Under the national “Athar” program, a centralized database has been created and 194 field operations related to missing-person cases and mass graves have been carried out. Launched on August 30 through a mobile application and website, the program allows families to submit information about relatives safely. The authority itself was established by presidential decree in May 2025.
The statements came after a briefing by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the situation in Syria. The commission warned that some Israeli military actions on Syrian territory, including the detention of dozens of people, could constitute war crimes. Al-Farhan called on the Human Rights Council to seek information about the fate of Syrians who, he said, had been subjected to enforced disappearance and were being held by Israel, as well as to secure their release and end the violations.
Comments on the News
What is the “Athar” program, and how can families protect their personal data when submitting information about missing persons through the app or website? — “Athar” is a digital platform for registering reports of missing persons, collecting information about them and potentially identifying human remains. Families should submit only the necessary information, verify that they are using the official website or app, review the privacy policy, keep confirmation of their submission and, where possible, conceal information that could threaten their relatives’ safety. They should not publish document numbers, addresses or other sensitive data publicly. Since the risks of leaks and unauthorized access remain, it is important to clarify who can access the information, how it is stored and whether consent to its processing can be withdrawn.
What are the powers of the Specialized Criminal Court and the National Authority for Missing Persons, established by presidential decree in May 2025, and how independent are they from the executive branch? — The Specialized Criminal Court hears cases involving serious crimes related to disappearances and other grave violations, while the National Authority for Missing Persons is expected to coordinate searches, maintain a registry, collect and verify information, work with families and help determine the fate of missing people. Their degree of independence depends on how their leaders are appointed, their sources of funding, guarantees of procedural autonomy and mechanisms for parliamentary or judicial oversight. If these bodies were established by presidential decree and report to the executive branch, their formal independence may be limited; a final assessment should be based on the texts of their founding instruments and their actual operating practices.
Full version: Syria: More than 2,500 files before the courts in the transitional justice process