Syrian Society in Conflict: Transitional Justice PT I

As part of the ongoing Syria in Conflict report series, Integrity is today releasing the first of three reports on Seeking the Rule of Law in the Absence of the State: Transitional Justice and Policing in Opposition-Controlled Syria Pt. I

The vacuum left by the departure of the Syrian Government in some parts of Northern Syria has been felt across a range of sectors, impacting upon key civilian medical, judicial, communication, security, electrical, water, flour, and diesel service infrastructure and service providers. The impacts have been particularly felt in the areas of justice and security. This report is looks at the nascent justice institutions that have emerged in this void, focusing in particular on the legal systems currently being debated and trialled in some areas, levels of institutionalisation within emergent justice institutions, and the role and use of Islamic law.

This research summary report is the first of three papers focusing exclusively on the current status and lessons learned relating to transitional justice and policing initiatives in opposition-controlled Syria. Information in this paper is primarily drawn from interviews conducted between January 2013 and March 2014. It focuses on cases from Aleppo, Idlib, and Dara’a governorates and refers to material from other areas including Rif Damascus, Deir Ez-Zor and Raqqa.

Integrity is publishing this research as part of a series to share our findings in a format that provides our Syrian partners with relevant information, usable tools and methodologies. This re-enforces the mutual relationship we strive to maintain in our dealings with all our research partners and underpins our entire ethos.