DAMASCUS, Syria – The United Nations’ Independent International Mechanism for Syria has accused the former Assad regime of carrying out systematic torture and maintaining inhumane detention conditions in over 100 detention facilities across the country, according to a new report published Thursday.
The report follows the first visit to Damascus by the Mechanism’s head, Robert Petit, since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024. It covers the period between February 1, 2024, and January 31, 2025, and provides a detailed account of the Mechanism’s efforts to support ongoing war crimes investigations and prosecutions related to the Syrian conflict.
The UN-established body, created by the General Assembly in 2016, said it received 460 formal requests for assistance, including 34 since the start of 2025, from national courts and judicial authorities handling Syria-linked war crimes cases.
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The Mechanism also reported direct and remote engagement with civil society groups, victim associations, and survivors of the former regime’s detention system.
Despite the progress, the report warned of serious funding shortfalls for 2025 that may hinder the Mechanism’s ability to carry out its mandate effectively.
Petit is scheduled to brief the UN General Assembly in New York on April 29, where he will present further details on his visit to Syria, including discussions with transitional Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shibani.
During that visit, the Syrian foreign ministry expressed readiness to cooperate with the UN mechanism “in the interest of justice and redress for victims,” while insisting that any accountability process must take place inside Syria and not be imposed from abroad.
The UN Mechanism had been denied access to Syria under the former Assad government but has documented alleged war crimes, including torture, forced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings, through extensive evidence gathered from outside the country.
