(Beirut) – The government of Bashar al-Assad was overthrown on December 8, 2024 by a coalition of armed opposition groups, marking an end to over 50 years of Baath Party rule in Syria.
Assad’s government committed countless atrocities, crimes against humanity, and other abuses during his 24-year presidency. These include widespread and systematic arbitrary arrests, torture, enforced disappearances and deaths in detention, use of chemical weapons, starvation as a weapon of war, and indiscriminate and deliberate attacks against civilians and civilian objects. Non-state armed groups operating in Syria, including Hay’et Tahrir al Sham and factions of the Syrian National Army that launched the offensive on November 27, are also responsible for human rights abuses and war crimes.
The following quote can be attributed to Lama Fakih, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch:
“The fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government offers Syrians an unprecedented opportunity to chart a new future built on justice, accountability, and respect for human rights. For Syrians scattered across the globe, the dream of accountability for years of crimes and brutality is closer to becoming a reality. Whoever emerges as Syria’s new leadership should make a full and determined break from the repression and impunity of the past and establish a system that respects the human rights and dignity of all Syrians regardless of background or political views. They should swiftly move to preserve and protect evidence of crimes and abuses by the former government and ensure fair, impartial justice going forward. Armed opposition groups should send a strong and unequivocal message to factions and fighters that unlawful attacks, including those targeting individuals based on perceived ties to the former government, will not be tolerated. They should commit to ensuring the humane treatment of all individuals, including former government officials and soldiers, affiliated fighters, and loyalists.”
