{"id":1056,"date":"2024-12-24T08:29:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-24T08:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brhrd.be\/?p=1056"},"modified":"2025-10-18T10:13:32","modified_gmt":"2025-10-18T10:13:32","slug":"syria-at-a-crossroads-urgent-calls-for-evidence-preservation-and-inclusive-reconstruction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brhrd.be\/?p=1056","title":{"rendered":"Syria at a Crossroads: Urgent Calls for Evidence Preservation and Inclusive Reconstruction"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As Syria enters a new chapter following the fall of the Assad regime in early December 2024, rights investigators have called for immediate action to protect critical evidence of serious violations committed over the past decade. The Independent International Commission of Inquiry (CoI) on Syria, in a landmark visit, has stressed the importance of preserving mass grave sites and safeguarding documentation crucial for justice and reconciliation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Evidence at Risk<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

For the first time since its establishment in 2011, the CoI gained access to Syria, visiting former prisons and detention centers, including the infamous Sednaya and Military Intelligence Branch 235 facilities. The team was met with the grim reality of destroyed, stolen, or damaged evidence that could have aided families in tracing disappeared loved ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Commission underscored the urgent need for protecting mass grave sites and securing remaining documents, warning against premature actions by well-meaning individuals or organizations that could compromise forensic investigations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key Recommendations<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

To address these challenges, the Commission has made several urgent recommendations, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n