On May 4, 2026, the Syrian Bar Association announced the formation of a committee to provide free legal representation to families of victims of arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, and extrajudicial killings. This initiative is considered an important step toward protecting human rights and supporting victimized families.
In its statement, the association emphasized that the widespread systematic human rights violations in Syria since 2011 have led to the disappearance of hundreds of thousands of people, constituting a serious human rights violation for both individuals and society. It was noted that learning the fate of the disappeared is a fundamental right of victimized families and society.
The committee is expected to work in full cooperation with the Ministry of Justice, the Transitional Justice Commission, the Disappearances Commission, and other relevant institutions. Additionally, the committee was called upon to provide legal support to victimized families and to act with professional and humanitarian responsibility to ensure justice.
In 2025, the National Disappearances Commission established a support platform to document disappearances and provide legal, psychological, and social support to families. Many civil society organizations participate in this platform, which aims to create a database to uncover the fate of the disappeared.
The Bar Association also stated that having defense lawyers for defendants in trials of former regime members is a requirement of the right to a fair trial. It was emphasized that the presence of lawyers does not mean defending the crime but is a fundamental legal guarantee to ensure justice.
Details regarding the committee's work and cooperation processes are expected to be clarified in official statements in the coming period. These developments will be closely followed as an important step in monitoring human rights violations in Syria and protecting the rights of victimized families.
