The fall of the Assad regime in December 2024 marked a pivotal moment in Syria’s modern history, raising hopes for justice, accountability, and the restoration of human rights after more than a decade of conflict and repression. However, the transition has been marred by persistent and new violations, complex political dynamics, and the daunting task of addressing past atrocities while preventing new abuses. Drawing on the latest UN reports, human rights organizations, and statements from Syrian and international actors, this analysis examines the current human rights landscape in Syria, the challenges facing transitional justice, and the prospects for meaningful reform and accountability.
What is the current human rights situation in Syria?
Despite the regime change, grave human rights violations continue across Syria. In early 2025, hundreds of Alawi civilians were killed and abused in more than 40 locations across Latakia, Tartous, Hama, and Homs, with documented violations in at least 16 locations. Over 200 members of the interim government’s security forces were killed in coordinated attacks by remnants of former government forces, and revenge killings—including executions of men who surrendered—were reported in villages such as Fahil, Maryameen, Anz, and Arzeh in January 2025.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) documented at least 89 arbitrary detentions in April 2025 alone, including children and women, with both transitional authorities and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) implicated. Over 32,000 men, women, and children remain detained in overcrowded prisons and camps in northeast Syria, with more than 20,000 children under 11 years old deprived of fundamental rights since 2019. ISIL cells have resurged in Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, and Al-Hasakah, launching deadly attacks on interim government and U.S.-backed forces in May 2025.
Israeli artillery in the UNDOF-monitored buffer zone in Quneitra and southwestern Daraa has caused civilian casualties and displacement, with the IDF issuing displacement orders and restricting access to homes and lands. Turkish airstrikes in the northeast have targeted civilian facilities, severing communities from essential services. More than 100,000 people, mostly Kurds, fled Aleppo governorate in late 2024, facing dire humanitarian conditions in the northeast.
Millions remain displaced internally and externally, with the humanitarian situation described as “bleak” by Amnesty International: millions live in poverty and depend on aid to survive.
Who is responsible for ongoing violations?
All parties to the conflict—former government forces, Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) factions, the SDF, ISIL, and foreign militaries—have committed grave violations. The SNA and affiliated military police have subjected civilians to arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, torture, sexual violence, and unfair trials, often with impunity. The SDF continues to detain political activists and recruit children for military purposes. Turkish border guards, SNA factions, and the SDF have all been implicated in unlawful killings, torture, and ill-treatment.
The SNHR and Amnesty International have documented thousands of arbitrary detentions and forced disappearances, with many detainees subjected to torture and ill-treatment. At least 208 forcibly deported refugees from Lebanon were arrested by Syrian authorities between January and October 2024, with reported cases of torture and deaths in custody.
Sectarian violence remains acute, with attacks targeting Alawite and Druze minorities in March and April 2025 resulting in scores of civilian deaths. Hate speech and disinformation campaigns have further fueled sectarian divisions.
What is the state of transitional justice and political reform?
The Syrian interim government has established mechanisms for transitional justice and missing persons, including a fact-finding committee and a National Authority for Transitional Justice. President Ahmad al-Sharaa has committed to holding responsible officials accountable and restoring confidence among affected communities. However, these mechanisms face significant challenges regarding transparency, inclusivity, and trust, with ongoing reports of arbitrary detentions and abuses by transitional authorities themselves.
The UN Security Council and international actors emphasize the need for credible, impartial, and victim-led accountability processes, urging the establishment of an international mechanism to address missing persons and enforced disappearances. The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) has called for universal jurisdiction and extraterritorial prosecution to fill accountability gaps.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch stress that justice in Syria must be victim-centered, addressing the rights of all those harmed by the conflict, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or political affiliation. The transitional government’s suspension of the constitution and exceptional laws, and its pledge to draft a new constitution and reform laws, are positive steps, but implementation remains uncertain and must be closely monitored for compliance with international human rights standards.
What are the main human rights violations documented?
Tens of thousands remain arbitrarily detained or forcibly disappeared, with many subjected to torture and ill-treatment in both former government and current transitional detention centers. The SNHR recorded 216 arbitrary detentions in February 2025 and 89 in April, including children and women. The SDF and Asayish security forces continue to detain approximately 44,000 ISIS suspects and family members, including nearly 60 nationalities, in degrading conditions in al-Hol and Roj camps.
All parties have carried out unlawful attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure. The Assad government and its allies used indiscriminate weapons, including barrel bombs and cluster munitions, and deliberately targeted medical facilities, schools, and humanitarian personnel. Armed opposition groups and ISIL have also conducted indiscriminate attacks, summary executions, and sexual violence. The SNA and SDF have been accused of property seizures, forced displacement, and reprisal attacks.
Foreign military operations by Israel, Türkiye, Russia, and the US have resulted in civilian casualties and destruction of infrastructure. Israeli airstrikes near Damascus and in southwestern Syria have killed civilians and displaced communities, raising concerns about violations of international humanitarian law.
What are the prospects for accountability and reform?
The fall of the Assad regime has created new possibilities for accountability, with opposition groups freeing detainees from former government prisons and the transitional government pledging reform. However, ongoing violations by all parties, the persistence of arbitrary detention and torture, and the lack of robust, inclusive justice mechanisms threaten to undermine these efforts.
The UN and human rights organizations urge the international community to support the establishment of an international mechanism for missing persons, ensure universal jurisdiction for crimes committed in Syria, and provide technical assistance for the reform of Syria’s security and justice sectors.
International humanitarian and human rights law requires that all perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other grave violations be held accountable, regardless of their affiliation. Universal jurisdiction and extraterritorial prosecution are essential tools to address impunity, given the scale and complexity of violations in Syria.
Opportunities for justice
Syria stands at a crossroads: the transition from authoritarian rule brings opportunities for justice and reform, but also immense challenges. Grave human rights violations—arbitrary detention, torture, unlawful killings, sexual violence, and forced displacement—continue to afflict the population, perpetrated by a range of actors including transitional authorities, armed groups, and foreign militaries. The establishment of transitional justice mechanisms and the commitment to accountability are positive steps, but must be matched by transparency, inclusivity, and genuine victim-centered processes.
The international community has a critical role to play in supporting Syria’s transition, ensuring accountability for past and ongoing violations, and upholding the rights and dignity of all Syrians. Only through sustained commitment to human rights, the rule of law, and inclusive justice can Syria hope to break the cycle of violence and build a foundation for lasting peace and reconciliation.
