GENEVA/ISTANBUL
The UN special rapporteur has proposed establishing a “hybrid court” to launch an accountability process against Syria’s ousted regime leader Bashar al-Assad for human rights violations and war crimes.
“My preference would be a hybrid court that the Syrian authorities would embrace, one that includes both national and international actors,” said Alice Jill Edwards, a UN special rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.
That would be the most effective way to put Syria on the path of justice, she told Anadolu.
“I think this is the best way to put Syria on a path where truth-telling can happen, but also, most importantly, accountability and justice, compensation and rehabilitation for victims and survivors,” Edwards said.
She emphasized that the fall of the Assad regime has resulted in a significant change in the situation in Syria and that discussions about how to reform the country are currently underway.
“It’s very important that victims and survivors are part of that process. People from all different walks of life can play a role, including those who have been advocating for victims and survivors of torture throughout that process,” she noted.
She also confirmed that the International Court of Justice proceedings are ongoing and that she has submitted a comprehensive dossier to the court and the parties involved, which includes 34 separate allegations of torture affecting thousands of people.
“Right now, we can see that that was really just the tip of the iceberg from what has been exposed over these last two months,” she said.
She also emphasized that “atrocities were being committed throughout the territory of Syria over the last decade or so” and that much evidence had been destroyed, possibly by the Assad regime, as they left.
Edwards noted that the first stage is to preserve evidence, which includes restricting access to sites. She stressed the importance of prioritizing missing persons and engaging international actors in discussions about a “democratic Syria” to ensure “justice and accountability.”
She said the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Prosecutor General are on the ground investigating cases, emphasizing the importance of the top UN court’s high-level procedures and investigations.
“Those, as we know from other conflicts, will only touch the highest echelons. It is extremely important that those people are held accountable and have the utmost responsibility for those crimes,” Edwards said.
The process should be Syria-led, she stressed, adding, “people should not be excluded from those discussions that are going on.”
Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party’s regime, which had been in power since 1963.
Ahmed al-Sharaa, who led anti-regime forces to oust Assad, was declared president for a transitional period on Jan. 29.
