Damascus, Oct. 21 (SANA) Establishing an effective system to provide reparations to victims of abuses under the deposed regime requires clear eligibility criteria, reliable ways to verify claims and coordinated institutions, legal and human rights experts told SANA.
They said reparations are a central pillar of transitional justice and must go beyond financial compensation to include truth-seeking, restitution of property and other rights, medical and psychological rehabilitation, recognition of violations and guarantees of non-recurrence.
Reparations go beyond compensation
Fadel Abdul Ghany, director of the Syrian Network for Human Rights, said victims are entitled to effective measures proportionate to the severity and consequences of violations, taking into account their individual circumstances and needs.
Families of forcibly disappeared people, for example, cannot obtain full redress through financial compensation alone without efforts to establish the fate of their relatives and uncover the truth. Survivors of torture also need treatment and rehabilitation, alongside compensation, he said.
Legal expert Raghid Diab said eligibility assessments must establish the nature of the harm and its link to the violation. Potential claimants include victims of arbitrary detention, torture and enforced disappearance, families of people killed or missing, displaced people and returning refugees, and those who have lost homes, land or livelihoods.
Diab cautioned that displacement or refugee status alone does not automatically establish entitlement to a specific form of compensation. Property claims must distinguish between restoring ownership, compensating for losses and providing housing or humanitarian assistance.
He called for flexible evidence rules when official documents are missing, provided claims can be verified through reliable alternative evidence. Assessments should also account for the scale and duration of harm, vulnerability and individual needs, while ensuring equal treatment and non-discrimination.
Institutions and appeals key to implementation
Legal expert Suleiman al-Qarfan said effective reparations depend on coordination among institutions responsible for assessing needs, documenting violations and financing remedies.
Recovery centers should assess victims’ needs and provide psychological and social support and legal guidance. A national victims’ registry should maintain verified information on individuals, violations and resulting harm, while a reparation fund should finance compensation and other measures.
Al-Qarfan said victims must be able to understand their rights, submit claims and receive reasoned decisions within a reasonable timeframe, with accessible procedures to appeal decisions.
The experts identified missing documents, destroyed records, limited access to information and difficulties resolving property disputes as major obstacles to redress. They called for clear rules on eligibility, damage assessments and funding, warning against automatically rejecting claims when reliable alternative evidence is available.
Reparations must not replace accountability
Abdul Ghany said victims’ rights to reparations are grounded in international human rights and humanitarian law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention against Torture.
He stressed that reparations and criminal accountability must remain separate but complementary. Victims should not be denied treatment or support while awaiting the outcome of criminal proceedings, and reparations must not be used to halt investigations or shield those responsible from accountability.
The experts said victims should participate in setting priorities, as the needs of families of missing people differ from those of torture survivors and displaced people who have lost their homes and livelihoods.
They said the success of Syria’s reparations efforts will depend on translating documented rights into practical measures that restore rights, provide rehabilitation and deliver fair and sustainable redress.
N.J/ M.F
