On 12–13 January 2026, the IIIM welcomed Syrian justice actors alongsideinternational prosecutors and investigators, in Geneva, for two days of focused discussions on accountability for crimes committed by the former Syrian regime.
The historic nature of the meetings which included Syria’s Deputy Minister of Justice for Judicial Affairs, the Public Prosecutor, members of the judiciary and of the National Commission for Transitional Justice would have been inconceivable before the fall of the Assad regime and marked another milestone for advancing justice and accountability for Syria’s victims and survivors.
The meetings took place at a pivotal moment for Syria, marked by early efforts to address past crimes alongside the establishment of new justice pathways. Discussions reflected a growing recognition that accountability efforts inside and outside Syria are increasingly interconnected.
The first day, the IIIM brought together representatives of the Syrian Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the National Commission for Transitional Justice to update them on the IIIM’s ongoing support to jurisdictions investigating and prosecuting core international crimes, lessons learnt from international judicial cooperation and to hear their perspectives on justice and accountability processes.
The following day, the IIIM convened a roundtable where non-Syrian war crimes prosecutors and investigators from several national jurisdictions joined the Syrian participants. The discussions included participants sharing the operational realities of extraterritorial proceedings, the challenges faced by justice actors inside and outside Syria and explored practical strategies for overcoming barriers to cooperation, including through the IIIM’s mandate.
Head of the IIIM, Robert Petit, noted that “We are entering a new phase in which domestic Syrian efforts and ongoing extraterritorial proceedings coexist and increasingly depend on one another. This coexistence creates opportunities.”
Across both days, the discussions demonstrated constructive engagement, a shared understanding of the priorities and interest in further engagement to advance justice and accountability efforts.
