CIJA Leadership Meet with Syrian Minister of Justice
This week, CIJA leadership met with the Syrian Minister for Justice in Damascus. During the meeting, Minister Dr. Muzhir al-Wis and Dr William Wiley (Executive Director), Hasan Al Hariri and Husam Sharif (CIJA Lead Investigators in Syria) discussed strengthening cooperation on accountability and justice initiatives, taking a step forward to build trust and advance the rule of law.
This week, CIJA leadership met with the Syrian Minister for Justice in Damascus. During the meeting, Minister Dr. Muzhir al-Wis and Dr William Wiley (Executive Director), Hasan Al Hariri and Husam Sharif (CIJA Lead Investigators in Syria) discussed strengthening cooperation on accountability and justice initiatives, taking a step forward to build trust and advance the rule of law.
Watch “Shadow Warriors”
For over a decade their names were not known, their faces never seen. Now the war is over, and they can speak. Hasan Al Hariri and Husam Sharif are the investigators that lead the CIJA teams, who for years worked in the shadows, securing critical evidence of Regime crimes. They worked silently and diligently, without recognition, because their safety and mission required it. In this short documentary, they speak for the first time about their work in the past and their hopes for the future.
Watch Shadow Warriors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VYRnUmwbD4
For over a decade their names were not known, their faces never seen. Now the war is over, and they can speak. Hasan Al Hariri and Husam Sharif are the investigators that lead the CIJA teams, who for years worked in the shadows, securing critical evidence of Regime crimes. They worked silently and diligently, without recognition, because their safety and mission required it. In this short documentary, they speak for the first time about their work in the past and their hopes for the future.
This documentary was first screened at the WARM Festival in Sarajevo on the fringes of the commemorations of the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide.
Watch Shadow Warriors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VYRnUmwbD4
CIJA’s Syria Investigators Join Srebrenica Genocide Commemorations
CIJA Syria team took part in the official events to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
CIJA Syria team took part in the official events to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
On Thursday, Dr William Wiley (Executive Director) and Husam Sharif (CIJA Lead Investigator – Syria) joined Hasan Nuhanovic (Srebrenica genocide survivor and human rights activist) and Emir Suljaqic (Director, Srebrenica Memorial Center) to discuss the role of documents in constructing cases and preserving truth. In parallel, Nerma Jelacic (Director of Management and External Relations) moderated a panel discussion on the importance of truth seeking, collective memory and the enduring need to remember, alongside Kathryne Bomberger (Director General, ICMP), Amore Masovic (Former Head of Missing Persons Institute, BiH) and Mariia Mykhalko (Representative, ICMP Ukraine).
At the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, Hasan and Husam stood alongside survivors, legal experts, archivists, and atrocity museum leaders to honour the victims—and reflecting on the road ahead for Syria.
Srebrenica is among the most thoroughly documented mass atrocities in history. As Bosnia continues to confront denial, Syria begins a similar struggle. The message is clear: the work must begin now.
Hasan and Husam recognised the Mothers of Srebrenica, women who lost their sons, fathers and husbands and transformed their grief into resilience:
“You have built something with your grief. We hope to do the same,” they said. For Syria, Srebrenica reflects both the path ahead and the long journey towards justice
“Shadow Warriors” Documentary Launch and Discussion in Sarajevo
On Wednesday, CIJA´s lead Syrian investigators, Hassan Al Hariri and Husam Sharif stepped out from the shadows to speak about their work securing critical evidence of the Assad Regime crimes in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Standing in front of an international network of journalists, artists, historians, researchers and activists gathered for the annual WARM festival commemorating war reporting, art and memory Hasan and Husam gave voice to the courage and dedication of over 40 of their colleagues who have spent years documenting war crimes and crimes against humanity inside Syria.
On Wednesday, CIJA´s lead Syrian investigators, Hassan Al Hariri and Husam Sharif stepped out from the shadows to speak about their work securing critical evidence of the Assad Regime crimes in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Standing in front of an international network of journalists, artists, historians, researchers and activists gathered for the annual WARM festival commemorating war reporting, art and memory Hasan and Husam gave voice to the courage and dedication of over 40 of their colleagues who have spent years documenting war crimes and crimes against humanity inside Syria.
In Sarajevo, a city that endured a 3.5-year siege, the auditorium was filled with cheers and teers in recognition of the important work and sacrifice they did.
They visited the sites of crimes and memorials marking the innocent lives lost during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina that ended 30 years ago. As Syria makes its first steps on the road to accountability, Bosnia stood as an example that memory can be preserved and justice pursued even if it takes time.
Watch Shadow Warriors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VYRnUmwbD4
Delegation from The Commission for International Justice and Accountability Visits SANA
SANA, Damascus | A delegation from The Commission for International Justice and Accountability(CIJA), visited the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) and met with a number of its staff, and gave a presentation on the commission’s most prominent tasks, statistics, and documentation of crimes and violations perpetrated by the Assad ousted regime over the past years.
Read more:
SANA, Damascus | A delegation from The Commission for International Justice and Accountability(CIJA), visited the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) and met with a number of its staff, and gave a presentation on the commission’s most prominent tasks, statistics, and documentation of crimes and violations perpetrated by the Assad ousted regime over the past years.
Read more:
BBC Today interview with Bill Wiley
BBC | Bill Wiley, Executive Director of the Commission for International Justice and Accountability, joined Nick Robinson on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme to discuss the current security situation in Syria, aired on 01 May 2025.
BBC | Bill Wiley, Executive Director of the Commission for International Justice and Accountability, joined Nick Robinson on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme to discuss the current security situation in Syria, aired on 01 May 2025.
Global Justice honors US Ambassador for War Crimes Stephen Rapp in Damascus
Sana News, Damascus | The Annual Global Justice Award conference was held Wednesday to honor honoring of US Ambassador for War Crimes Stephen Rapp.
“CIJA is proud to share that our Chair, Ambassador Stephen Rapp, has been recognised for his outstanding contribution to advancing justice in Syria. This honour reflects his unwavering commitment to accountability and exposing the former regime’s crimes against the Syrian people. Our heartfelt thanks to all of our partners and communities whose continued support makes this work possible. CIJA remains steadfast in our mission to help build a just and peaceful Syria grounded in the rule of law.”
Sana News, Damascus | The Annual Global Justice Award conference was held Wednesday to honor honoring of US Ambassador for War Crimes Stephen Rapp.
From CIJA LinkedIn:
“CIJA is proud to share that our Chair, Ambassador Stephen Rapp, has been recognised for his outstanding contribution to advancing justice in Syria. This honour reflects his unwavering commitment to accountability and exposing the former regime’s crimes against the Syrian people. Our heartfelt thanks to all of our partners and communities whose continued support makes this work possible. CIJA remains steadfast in our mission to help build a just and peaceful Syria grounded in the rule of law.”
Five jihadists found guilty of holding French journalists hostage
Sky News | Report on the conviction and life sentence of Mehdi Nemmouche, a terrorist linked to Daesh, by the Paris Special Court. Nemmouche and four others were convicted for kidnapping and holding four journalists hostage. CIJA played a vital role in securing this conviction by providing physical evidence and courtroom testimony.
Sky News | Report on the conviction and life sentence of Mehdi Nemmouche, a terrorist linked to Daesh, by the Paris Special Court. Nemmouche and four others were convicted for kidnapping and holding four journalists hostage. CIJA played a vital role in securing this conviction by providing physical evidence and courtroom testimony.
Canadian-led team is building a case against al-Assad over his regime’s war crimes in Syria
Globe and Mail | Detailed interviews with "Adel", CIJA’s Chief Investigator in Syria and Bill Wiley on the opportunities to preserve evidence now available across the country, by Mark Mackinnon
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-syria-bashar-al-assad-regime-war-crimes-case/
Globe and Mail | Detailed interviews with "Adel", CIJA’s Chief Investigator in Syria and Bill Wiley on the opportunities to preserve evidence now available across the country, by Mark Mackinnon
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-syria-bashar-al-assad-regime-war-crimes-case/
1 million files: How one group is helping expose Syrian regime’s war crimes
Andalou Agency | “There is hope that those future accountability and justice processes will be happening in Syria” Nerma Jelacic spoke to Rabia Ali
Andalou Agency | “There is hope that those future accountability and justice processes will be happening in Syria” Nerma Jelacic spoke to Rabia Ali
Syria Confronts an Immense Challenge: Justice for Assad Regime Crimes
New York Times |Nerma Jelacic and Stephen Rapp spoke with Vivian Yee about the accountability choices facing Syria:
"Syrians will need time and many discussions to design a sound accountability process, said Nerma Jelacic of The Commission for International Justice and Accountability, which has been gathering evidence against Syrian regime figures for years."
New York Times |Nerma Jelacic and Stephen Rapp spoke with Vivian Yee about the accountability choices facing Syria:
"Syrians will need time and many discussions to design a sound accountability process, said Nerma Jelacic of The Commission for International Justice and Accountability, which has been gathering evidence against Syrian regime figures for years."
Zij willen Assad vervolgen: ‘Zijn regime was vergelijkbaar met de goelags van Stalin’
Volkskrant | [Dutch] William Wiley spoke to Remco Anderson about the role of justice in ensuring accountability for the scale of the Syrian Regime’s crimes:
"Assad's Regime was comparable to Stalin's Gulags".
Volkskrant | [Dutch] William Wiley spoke to Remco Anderson about the role of justice in ensuring accountability for the scale of the Syrian Regime’s crimes:
"Assad's Regime was comparable to Stalin's Gulags".
Investigators race to secure evidence of atrocities by Syria’s Assad regime
Financial Times | William Wiley spoke to the Financial Times about the challenges Syrians face in preserving evidence for overall accountability efforts:
“While it’s perfectly understandable that distressed families rushed in to try and find their loved ones, it’s going to make it that much harder for the overall mission of accountability if we lose key pieces of evidence”.
Financial Times | William Wiley spoke to the Financial Times about the challenges Syrians face in preserving evidence for overall accountability efforts:
“While it’s perfectly understandable that distressed families rushed in to try and find their loved ones, it’s going to make it that much harder for the overall mission of accountability if we lose key pieces of evidence”.
What lies ahead for Assad loyalists?
TRT World | Nerma Jelacic spoke to TRT World about the importance of preserving the huge amounts of evidence that is now available, in order that it may support future accountability efforts.
TRT World | Nerma Jelacic spoke to TRT World about the importance of preserving the huge amounts of evidence that is now available, in order that it may support future accountability efforts.
Syrerne vil have al-Assad og andre dømt. Men vejen til retfærdighed kan blive lang og trang
Information | [Danish + English] Legal experts and human rights groups fear that documents from prisons and institutions could be compromised by the media and victims’ relatives. Uncertainty looms over a forthcoming legal reckoning.
Information | [Danish + English] Legal experts and human rights groups fear that documents from prisons and institutions could be compromised by the media and victims’ relatives. Uncertainty looms over a forthcoming legal reckoning.
English [AI translation] https://mburcharth.wordpress.com/2025/01/09/the-syrians-want-al-assad-and-others-held-accountable-but-the-road-to-justice-may-be-long-and-arduous/
Will Assad be brought to justice?
BBC | Owen Bennet Jones spoke to Stephen Rapp, CIJA Commissioner about the prospects of Assad facing justice: "We should never say never. Milosevic, Taylor, Mladic & others thought they would escape justice & eventually countries surrendered these butchers to face justice".
BBC | Owen Bennet Jones spoke to Stephen Rapp, CIJA Commissioner about the prospects of Assad facing justice: "We should never say never. Milosevic, Taylor, Mladic & others thought they would escape justice & eventually countries surrendered these butchers to face justice".
Mass graves found near Syria’s capital could contain thousands of bodies
Mass graves found near Syria’s capital could contain thousands of bodies
Al Jazeera | As the magnitude of the Regime's violence begins to emerge Nerma Jelacic spoke to Al Jazeera on the importance of securing Regime-produced evidence, the readiness of CIJA's Syrian investigators to do so & their contribution to Syrian justice.
Watch at 2'20:
Justice for the victims of Assad’s atrocities in Syria
Financial Times | Recognition on the importance of the ground presence of CIJA’s Syrian investigators in securing evidence of the Regime’s criminality, spanning over 50 years.
Financial Times | Recognition on the importance of the ground presence of CIJA’s Syrian investigators in securing evidence of the Regime’s criminality, spanning over 50 years:
https://www.ft.com/content/f1f342b7-9258-4034-af08-6cb20c57e673
“In Bananenkisten versteckt und zur Grenze gefahren“: Wie Anwälte in Syrien Assads Verbrechen dokumentieren
Tagesspiegel | [German] A CIJA investigator and Director of External Relations spoke with Tagesspiegel on the work to secure evidence of Regime command and control structures.
Tagesspiegel | [German] A CIJA investigator and Director of External Relations spoke with Tagesspiegel on the work to secure evidence of Regime command and control structures:
"As an investigator, I conducted interviews with defectors from the regime and those affected" writes Mohammed an investigator for CIJA.
‘Bigger than Nuremberg’: the secret files that could jail Assad
The Times | Christina Lamb spoke to William Wiley on the scale of the Assad regime’s machinery of death, spanning more than 50 years.
The Times | Christina Lamb spoke to William Wiley on the scale of the Assad regime’s machinery of death, spanning more than 50 years:
“This is the most documented repression in history... Like the Nazis but with computers.”
https://www.thetimes.com/article/939efdbb-e1e8-44e2-9ad1-2eef7eeeb87a