The first-ever trial of a senior Syrian government official began in April, 2020 in Koblenz, Germany. Since the start, SJAC's trial monitor has attended each trial session, and SJAC has published high-quality trial monitoring reports in English and Arabic. These reports create a historical record of this groundbreaking trial and provide access to Syrian victims and witnesses interested in following the proceedings from afar.
Over nearly 10 years of conflict, Syrian victims have yet to see justice against the largest perpetrator of crimes: the Syrian government. That began to change with the trial of Anwar Raslan and Eyad al-Gharib, two intelligence officials accused of crimes against humanity. However, there are few sources of high-quality information on the trial, particularly in Arabic. Syrians must be aware of the trial proceedings and possible avenues available for them to achieve justice for violations.
SJAC plans to continue monitoring the trial in Germany and producing regular reports and to conduct outreach with various Syrian communities to share the trial reports with victims to educate them on their options for justice. SJAC also works closely with War Crimes prosecutors across the world, providing expertise and data, to ensure that this trial will not be the last of its kind. SJAC needs the funds to pay its trial monitor, writing team, and the English to Arabic translation.
SJAC's goal is that prosecutions for Syria-based crimes will become mainstream and more broadly representative of the victims, perpetrators, and crimes committed in the conflict; that more Syrians will exercise their legal rights and successfully pursue justice through universal jurisdiction prosecutions; and that justice mechanisms in Europe will reflect the priorities and needs of Syrian victims, while protecting their rights.
