CIJA Participates in Syria Ukraine Workshop on Ending Impunity and Strengthening Civil Society

On 06 December, CIJA participated in the “Syria Ukraine Workshop on Ending Impunity and Strengthening Civil Society” organised by the Syrian Emergency Task Force, Madaniya and PIJ Lab, in Damascus.

Leading human rights defenders from Ukraine shared their experience in documenting crimes, supporting survivors and building justice mechanisms during wartime, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk, PIJL co-founder Nataliya Gumenyuk and Crimean Tartar activist Leniie Umerova.

Hasan Al Hariri, CIJA Syria Director joined the Ukrainian human rights activists, where he discussed different approaches to war crimes documentation and justice. Drawing on CIJA s experience in both Syria and Ukraine, Hasan called for the shift of focus to rebuilding the national institutions in Syria which will ultimately bear the responsibility for delivering accountability and transitional justice.

CIJA stands ready to support the Syrian efforts to design effective transitional justice mechanisms and is in discussion with the relevant authorities about concrete help that can be offered in the short and long term.