New York ,15 April 2026 – Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, ASG Robert Petit, Head of the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM-Syria), underscored that Syria now faces a crucial opportunity to advance accountability and transitional justice, one year after the events of 8 December 2024 that marked the end of decades of authoritarian rule.
He pointed to tangible progress on the ground. Newly established National Commissions for Transitional Justice and Missing Persons have begun their work. At the same time, the Ministries of Justice and Interior have apprehended thousands of alleged perpetrators. He cautioned, however, that these developments remain partial and that significant challenges persist.
In parallel, he added that the Mechanism’s operational role has expanded alongside a growing demand for its support. As of 31 January 2026, the IIIM received 544 requests for assistance from 17 competent jurisdictions, including 107 new requests during the reporting period. This reflects continued reliance on its analytical work, central repository, and operational support.
This expanding workload has coincided with a major shift in the Mechanism’s engagement inside Syria:
- For the first time since its establishment, the IIIM has been authorized to undertake operational investigative work on Syrian territory, including access to a detention facility linked to serious violations
- Monthly missions have enabled direct engagement with ministries and national bodies
- Authorization has been received to deploy an evidence officer in Damascus.
Amid these developments, ASG Petit emphasized that victims and survivors remain central to all accountability efforts. He added “As our engagement inside Syria has expanded, one constant has guided our work: victims and survivors. Throughout our activities in 2025 civil society organizations and victims and survivors expressed the same message: that justice must not be selective, nor evolve into a process that recognizes the suffering of some while overlooking the suffering of others.”
ASG Petit called on Member States to provide sustained support in order to meet rising demands. The Mechanism’s ability to respond to growing accountability needs in Syria and across competent jurisdictions depends on adequate resources, technical cooperation, and political backing.
Without sufficient staffing and funding, the IIIM cannot carry out its evidence collection, preservation, and analytical work effectively or respond in a timely manner to requests linked to ongoing investigations and prosecutions.
He emphasized: “Syria enters a new and uncertain phase of transition, one constant remains: justice cannot take root without sustained commitment, adequate resources, and structures capable of recognizing all victims and all crimes. For this to succeed, continued engagement is needed from Syrian institutions, civil society, victims and survivors and from Member States”.
Member States welcomed the efforts of the IIIM and the progress it has made and reaffirmed their support for the Mechanism in addressing resource constraints and operational challenges.
Watch the speech delivered by the Head of the Mechanism here
Historic Meeting: IIIM Roundtable on Extraterritorial Prosecution of Crimes in Syria
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.
Head of IIIM Interview with Swissinfo
In a recent interview with SWI swissinfo.ch, ASG Robert Petit, Head of the IIIM, reflected on the accountability process in Syria and highlighted the essential role played by Syrians in advancing efforts toward justice.
As he noted, Syrians themselves “have been some of the most active, committed, politically savvy, competent advocates for themselves, for accountability, and some of the best documenters of atrocity crimes that the world has seen.”
ASG Petit also pointed to the significant legal and institutional challenges that continue to affect prospects for accountability and justice in Syria.
Copyright © 2026 by Helen James
First Evidence Collection Conducted in Syria
In cooperation with the Syrian Government, the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) has conducted its first evidence collection in the Syrian Arab Republic.
The IIIM team was given access to visit and document the Al-Khatib detention facility, formerly operated by General Intelligence Branch 251. For years, survivors and former detainees have provided testimonies describing the widespread and systematic use of torture, cruel treatment, and inhumane conditions of detention at this facility.
The site still bears visible traces of the atrocities committed within its walls. The operation, conducted with the support of the Syrian Ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs, will contribute to ongoing and future judicial proceedings aimed at holding perpetrators accountable for their crimes.
By preserving sites of abuse and rigorously collecting evidence, the IIIM and Syrian authorities aim to support justice processes, upholding victims’ rights, and ensuring that grave violations are neither erased nor forgotten.
Dutch Newspaper Trouw Interview with IIIM Deputy Head
30 January 2026– In an interview with Trouw, IIIM Deputy Head, Michelle Jarvis, discussed why gender perspectives matter in international criminal law and accountability work.
Ms. Jarvis stated that a gender perspective helps investigators uncover harms and patterns that standard approaches can overlook. She referred to Bosnia and Srebrenica to show how violence can affect gender groups differently. She also noted that legal practice has progressed in treating sexual violence as a core international crime, however stigma continues to affect what survivors feel able to disclose.
From her work on Syria, Ms. Jarvis stated that some harms remain under-recorded. She noted that women and girls often had less access to medical treatment and suffered later from health complications after chemical weapons attacks. She added that early documentation drew mainly on statements from men which meant gendered consequences were not fully captured.
Read the full article here.
Copyrights of the photo: Brechtje Rood