UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has urged Syria’s new government to initiate a comprehensive national reconciliation process to address decades of human rights violations. Speaking in Damascus on Wednesday during the first visit by a UN rights chief to Syria, Türk emphasized the need for justice following the fall of President Bashar Assad last month after a swift rebel offensive ended 54 years of Assad family rule.
Türk met with Syria’s newly appointed leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, and with victims of crimes committed during the country’s 13-year civil war. He stressed that Syria must prioritize a process of transitional justice, warning against retaliation.
“Revenge and vengeance are never the answer. Instead, there needs to be a fully nationally owned, healing, truth-telling, and reconciliation process,” Türk stated.
The UN rights chief highlighted that his office has been remotely gathering evidence of crimes in Syria since the conflict began in 2011. He pledged to collaborate with other UN bodies to address the legacy of abuses.
Human rights
Türk also raised concerns over Syrians still displaced due to what he described as “demographic engineering” that has deprived many of their land and property rights. “The extent of the atrocity crimes truly beggars belief,” he remarked.
Türk noted receiving promising commitments from the new Syrian leadership, with al-Sharaa expressing a dedication to upholding human rights. Additionally, Türk called on the international community to urgently review and lift sectoral sanctions on Syria, arguing that they have severely affected the general population.