Syria abolishes exceptional courts, says it is moving forward with transitional justice

The Syrian government has abolished exceptional courts and their rulings and is moving forward with applying transitional justice, Justice Minister Mazhar al-Wais said Thursday.

Wais told the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) that his ministry is committed to “upholding human rights in the judiciary and applying them in practice.”

He said the Justice Ministry has taken wide-ranging steps to strengthen human rights protections within the justice system.

These steps include monitoring prisons, establishing legal offices to secure and guarantee prisoners’ rights, canceling exceptional courts and rulings, and advancing transitional justice to ensure equal access to fair trials, he added.

The minister said Syria’s first-ever celebration of Human Rights Day is an important signal that “the day of great victory marks the beginning of elevating human rights.”

In remarks Monday during Liberation Day celebrations marking the first anniversary of Bashar al-Assad’s overthrow, President Ahmad al-Sharaa reaffirmed the state’s commitment to transitional justice, saying it is essential to hold accountable all those who violated the law and committed crimes against Syrians while ensuring victims’ rights and delivering justice.

Sharaa said the public’s right to truth, accountability and ultimately prosecution or reconciliation is fundamental to state stability and preventing the repetition of abuses.

On Wednesday, Damascus hosted its first-ever Human Rights Day event at the Umayyad Palace, held in cooperation with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Human Rights Day marks the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on Dec. 10, 1948, which enshrines the inalienable rights owed to every individual.

Human rights violations were among the most sensitive issues in Syria’s foreign relations for years. The UN and international reports repeatedly documented the ousted Assad regime’s use of arbitrary detention, systematic torture and enforced disappearances in its prisons and detention centers.