UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. body responsible for investigating serious crimes in Syria reported on Monday that the nation’s new authorities exhibited a “very receptive” attitude toward collaboration during a recent visit to Damascus, as they prepare for deployment.
This visit, led by Robert Petit, head of the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism for Syria, marked the first since the mechanism’s establishment by the U.N. General Assembly in 2016. The organization focuses on gathering evidence and facilitating the prosecution of individuals involved in potential war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide during Syria’s ongoing civil war, which began in 2011.
Petit underscored the urgent need to preserve documents and evidence from the ongoing conflict before they are irretrievably lost.
Following the overthrow of President Bashar Assad and the opening of prisons by rebel forces, there has been a rising demand among Syrians for accountability regarding atrocities and killings that occurred during his rule.
“The end of Assad’s regime presents us with a crucial opportunity to execute our mandate,” Petit stated. “Time is of the essence. We have a limited window to secure these sites and the evidence they contain.”
According to U.N. associate spokesperson Stephane Tremblay, the investigative team is “preparing for operational deployment as soon as it receives the necessary authorization to conduct activities within Syria.”
A spokesperson for the IIIM, who accompanied Petit, remarked, “We are readying for deployment in anticipation of receiving the required authorization.”
“The representatives from the caretaker authorities demonstrated an enthusiastic willingness to cooperate and acknowledged the extent of the work needed,” the spokesperson noted, emphasizing the requirement for expertise to help secure the newly available documentation.
The IIIM did not reveal the identities of the officials from the new government that were met with or the specific sites visited by Petit.
“At just one facility,” Petit remarked, “the extensive government documentation highlights the chilling systematic nature of the regime’s crimes.”
He emphasized that a collaborative effort among Syrians, civil society organizations, and international partners is essential to prioritize “the preservation of evidence regarding the crimes committed, mitigate duplication, and ensure inclusive representation of all victims in the quest for justice.”
In a related development, the U.N. General Assembly established an Independent Institution of Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic in June 2023, aiming to clarify the fate and whereabouts of over 130,000 individuals reported missing due to the ongoing conflict.
