{"id":205993,"date":"2025-04-01T12:27:12","date_gmt":"2025-04-01T10:27:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scm.bz\/?p=205993"},"modified":"2025-04-01T12:27:12","modified_gmt":"2025-04-01T10:27:12","slug":"joint-statement-the-eu-must-prioritise-justice-accountability-and-civil-society-in-syrias-transition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scm.bz\/en\/joint-statement-the-eu-must-prioritise-justice-accountability-and-civil-society-in-syrias-transition\/","title":{"rendered":"Joint Statement The EU Must Prioritise Justice, Accountability, and Civil Society in Syria\u2019s Transition\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Joint Statement The EU Must Prioritise Justice, Accountability, and Civil Society in Syria\u2019s Transition<\/strong>\u00a0
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As the Brussels 9 Conference on Syria convenes today, bringing together key international stakeholders to discuss the future of EU engagement with Syria, we, the undersigned human rights and civil society organisations (CSO), urge the European Union (EU) to ensure that justice, accountability, and support for the Syrian civil society are at the center of its Syria policy. The EU has a responsibility to prevent impunity, support a victim-centered transitional justice process, and guarantee Syrian civil society\u2019s full participation in shaping the country\u2019s future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The EU\u2019s ongoing discussions on its engagement with Syria must be guided by clear and enforceable human rights benchmarks. Lifting sanctions should not be used as leverage by EU states. Instead, any conditions set by EU states related to human rights, justice, and governance in Syria can be linked, among other factors, to the recognition of a new government, contributions to reconstruction efforts, and the provision of support, but not to the lifting of sanctions. The undersigned organizations believe that sectoral sanctions should be removed unconditionally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Justice and Accountability: No Peace Without Justice<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For decades, Syrians have endured atrocities, including enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, torture, gender-based violence, and war crimes. More than 202,000 civilians<\/a> have been killed, nearly 100,000 forcibly disappeared<\/a>, and over 15,000 have been tortured to death<\/a> in Syrian regime prisons. Yet, discussions of amnesty and reconciliation threaten to overshadow the fundamental right to justice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The undersigned human rights and civil society organisations (CSO) call on the EU to: <\/p>\n\n\n\n