DAMASCUS: Syria will need clear eligibility rules, reliable claim-verification mechanisms and coordinated institutions to establish an effective reparations system for victims of abuses committed under the former regime, legal and human rights experts told SANA.
The experts said reparations are a core component of transitional justice and should extend beyond financial compensation to include truth-seeking, property restitution, medical and psychological rehabilitation, recognition of violations and guarantees against their recurrence.
Reparations beyond financial compensation
Fadel Abdul Ghany, director of the Syrian Network for Human Rights, said reparations must be proportionate to the severity and impact of violations and tailored to victims’ individual circumstances.
He said financial compensation alone would not provide full redress for families of forcibly disappeared people without efforts to determine the fate of missing relatives and establish the truth. Torture survivors also require treatment and rehabilitation in addition to compensation, he added.
Legal expert Raghid Diab said potential beneficiaries could include victims of arbitrary detention, torture and enforced disappearance, families of those killed or missing, displaced people, returning refugees and individuals who lost homes, land or livelihoods.
Diab said assessments should evaluate the nature of harm and its connection to documented violations. He added that displacement or refugee status alone does not automatically qualify a person for a specific form of compensation.
He called for flexible evidentiary standards where official documents are unavailable, provided claims can be supported through credible alternative evidence. Assessments should also consider the extent and duration of harm, vulnerability and individual needs while ensuring equal treatment.
Institutions and appeals process
Legal expert Suleiman Al-Qarfan said effective reparations require coordination among bodies responsible for documenting violations, evaluating needs and financing remedies.
He proposed recovery centers providing psychological, social and legal support, a national registry containing verified information on victims and violations, and a dedicated reparations fund to finance compensation and other measures.
Al-Qarfan said victims should be able to understand their rights, submit claims and receive reasoned decisions within a reasonable timeframe, with accessible procedures to challenge rulings.
The experts identified missing documents, destroyed records, limited access to information and property disputes as major obstacles to implementation. They urged authorities to adopt clear eligibility and funding rules and avoid rejecting claims solely because official documentation is unavailable.
Accountability must remain separate
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 said reparations should complement, not replace, criminal accountability. Victims should not be denied treatment or support while investigations or court proceedings are ongoing, and compensation mechanisms must not be used to halt investigations or shield perpetrators from justice.
The experts also stressed the importance of victim participation in setting priorities, noting that the needs of families of missing persons differ from those of torture survivors and displaced people who have lost homes and livelihoods.
They said the success of Syria’s reparations efforts would depend on translating legal rights into practical and accessible measures for victims.