The National Transitional Justice Commission in Syria has begun working on the project to establish a National Victims Registry, through consultations with victims, their families, and human rights organizations. This project aims to establish legal and technical standards that ensure the creation of a reliable and comprehensive national database, preserving the rights of those affected and supporting pathways for truth-seeking, accountability, and reparations.
Recognition of Victims and Preservation of National Memory
The Reparations Administration at the National Transitional Justice Commission confirmed that the establishment of the registry responds to the need for a unified national reference to document victims of gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in Syria. It clarified that the goal is not limited to counting victims, but includes documenting what they suffered, preserving their rights, and understanding the extent of damage inflicted on individuals, families, and communities.
For his part, legal expert Sulaiman al-Qirfan emphasized that the registry represents an acknowledgment of the existence of victims and their rights, and a tool for uncovering patterns of violations committed by the former regime and determining their scale. It enables those affected to access justice and reparations, while Syrian Bar Association President Muhammad Ali al-Talwil considered that documenting victims constitutes an acknowledgment of human rights and dignity.
Flexible Standards for Proving Violations
The difficulty of obtaining official documents represents one of the most prominent challenges in establishing the registry, as many victims have lost their identity papers, homes and records were destroyed, and access to detention and hospital data was impossible. The Reparations Administration stressed the necessity for the registration to be comprehensive and fair, and that the difficulty of possessing documents should not become a reason to exclude victims or deprive them of recognition for their suffering.
Legal expert Tariq Haj Bakri pointed to the possibility of utilizing documents left by the former regime regarding martyrs, the wounded, and violations, alongside death certificates, hospital admission records, civil registry records, and documents from neighborhood heads. In the absence of official documents, Haj Bakri saw the necessity of relying on witnesses, circumstantial evidence, photos, and video clips, as well as Caesar files.
The Registry Is Not a Substitute for the Judiciary
The Bar Association President stressed the necessity of distinguishing between documenting victims and proving criminal responsibility. The registry is a tool for documenting facts and damages and establishing the status of those affected, while determining criminal responsibility remains the jurisdiction of the judiciary. Al-Qirfan agrees with him, emphasizing that registration should not be conditional upon the issuance of a final judicial ruling, as the function of the registry is to document victims and violations, not to issue conviction judgments.
Al-Qirfan explained that the registry supports transitional justice pathways by preserving testimonies, uncovering patterns of violations, and providing information to judicial authorities, as well as determining the needs of those affected and designing reparations programs. In this context, the Reparations Administration clarifies that the registry provides a knowledge base that helps the Commission determine priorities and build its programs on reliable information.
Data Protection and Institutional Participation
The success of the project is not limited to setting registration standards, but requires ensuring the confidentiality of information and protecting victims, witnesses, and their families from any additional risks. Al-Talwil confirmed the Bar Association's readiness to contribute to reviewing the legal framework for the registry, proposing standards of proof, data protection, and objection mechanisms. Meanwhile, Al-Qirfan noted that the success of the registry is not measured by the number of names listed in it, but by its ability to restore dignity to victims, uncover the truth, and preserve their rights.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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