Accurate classification of victims is a fundamental requirement for the success of the transitional justice process in Syria, ensuring reparations and preventing a repeat of the violations Syrians have endured over the past years, according to a research paper published by the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP).
According to the paper, prepared by journalist and human rights advocate Mansour al-Omari and published on 21 January, reaching a definition of “victim” and categorizing victims into clear groups is not merely a technical procedure, it is a social and legal construct that shields the justice file from politicization and ensures inclusive accountability mechanisms.
Syria, which is undergoing a sensitive transitional phase in 2026, urgently needs a definition of “victim” based on the criminal act and the harm inflicted, away from political considerations, the perpetrator’s identity, or the affiliations of those affected.
This research approach, al-Omari said, lays the groundwork to answer pressing questions related to the draft transitional justice law currently under discussion, by focusing on several pillars:
First, defining the victim to safeguard the rights of less visible groups, such as survivors of sexual violence and recruited children.
Second, distinguishing between individual reparations (compensation) and collective, structural reparations (reforming state institutions).
A priority system, truth first for the disappeared
The paper explained that the sheer scale of victim numbers requires designing a “priority system” to maximize the efficiency of reparations.
Al-Omari, who holds a master’s degree in transitional justice and conflicts, urged granting the highest priority to groups such as victims of enforced disappearance, given the urgent need to uncover the truth.
He noted that families of the missing need, before any material compensation, to know the fate of their loved ones and access their remains to facilitate legal procedures related to inheritance and guardianship. This makes “truth-seeking” and psychological support the cornerstone of redress for this most affected group.
Reforming institutions through the individual
The former Assad regime’s systematic targeting of specific sectors, such as health, media, and education, imposes a particular type of “reparation.”
In the health sector, where estimates by Physicians for Human Rights indicate that the regime and its allies were responsible for 90% of deaths among medical personnel, reparations do not stop at the doctor as an individual. They extend to reforming the health system to ensure protection for medical institutions in the future. The same applies to education, where at least 1,714 schools have been attacked since 2011.
The situation is similar for media workers. The Syrian Network for Human Rights has documented the killing of 717 journalists since 2011. Here, “structural reparations” come into focus through legal reforms to guarantee media freedom and protect the public’s right to know.
Drawing on Colombia’s experience
The paper reviewed Colombia’s experience as a leading model. In 2011, Colombia issued a “Victims and Land Restitution Law,” which established a “national victims registry” that enabled the processing of 16 million compensation claims for 9 million people.
The report indicated that precise, codified organization, and the classification of victims into consistent categories (death, enforced disappearance, torture, displacement) is what enabled Colombia to manage the enormous volume of requests, an approach Syria needs to confront the logistical challenges of documenting and repairing harms affecting millions of Syrians.
Safeguarding the independence of the justice file
Al-Omari called for establishing a specialized unit to manage reparations, bringing together legal experts and data analysts, while emphasizing the need to include victim categories in the transitional justice law in a clear manner that leaves no room for political interpretation.
The paper proposed that the reparations committee affiliated with the National Transitional Justice Authority should enjoy full immunity from government interference, and be run by technical experts who do not hold partisan positions, to ensure continued redress for those harmed according to impartial human rights standards that rise above identity and affiliation conflicts.
Why do we need to legally classify victims in Syria? Enab Baladi.
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