Robert Beatty, head of the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) for accountability, investigation, and prosecution of those responsible for violations in Syria, stated that the Mechanism’s work heavily relies on collaboration with civil society organisations and the documentation of violations.
In a report issued recently, Beatty noted that during a United Nations General Assembly meeting last April, attended by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, he emphasised that there is a significant opportunity to achieve justice in Syria.
Beatty explained that during his first visit to Syria last December, he encountered major challenges regarding the preservation of evidence that could implicate perpetrators of violations.
He pointed out that although much of the evidence is now stored in a secure location, it remains at risk. Many documents are still piled up in corridors awaiting proper archiving and preservation.
Since that visit, Beatty said, the IIIM team has maintained regular contact with the Syrian transitional authorities. He added, “While the IIIM team awaits official permission to enter Syria, the Mechanism continues its structural investigations and systematic preservation of evidence. We have seen a notable rise in requests for assistance from various jurisdictions.”
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In mid-January, Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on the Syrian government to safeguard evidence and documents located in prisons formerly controlled by the ousted regime.
HRW stated in a post on X, “The new Syrian administration’s preservation of evidence and documents in prisons and security branches is key to building trust with the Syrian people.”
The organisation expressed concern that “crucial evidence of atrocities committed by the ousted regime is at risk of being damaged, destroyed, or lost,” warning that the loss of such material undermines justice efforts for victims, survivors, and the families of the forcibly disappeared.
HRW stressed that tens of thousands of Syrians were forcibly disappeared by the security and intelligence services of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, and that their families have the right to know the truth. Therefore, all evidence of regime atrocities must be preserved.
A delegation from Human Rights Watch visited Damascus between December 10 and 20, touring prisons, detention centres, sites of mass graves and facilities that had received the bodies of detainees.
The delegation reported seeing rooms in security branches and prisons that had been completely burned, with documents scattered across the floors. Families were seen searching for documents in hopes of obtaining information about their missing loved ones held in Saydnaya Prison in the Damascus countryside.
In December, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the Association of Saydnaya Prison Detainees and Missing Persons issued a joint statement calling on the new Syrian administration to take concrete steps to preserve all evidence related to the atrocities committed under the ousted regime.
