Date: June 2026
Mariana Karkoutly, co-founder, board member, and Investigation Program Director at Huquqyat, participated in a webinar organized by Arab Center Washington DC and the Institute for Middle East Studies at George Washington University titled “Transitional Justice and Accountability Efforts in Syria: Challenges and Prospects” on Wednesday, 3 June 2026.
The webinar examined the current state of transitional justice and accountability in Syria more than a year and a half after the establishment of Syria’s Transitional Justice Commission. It came at a fragile moment in which recent trials, including proceedings against Atef Najib, have raised cautious hopes for long-delayed justice, while the broader political transition remains stalled.
The discussion assessed the significance and limitations of recent prosecutions, the challenges facing accountability efforts, including internal Syrian divisions, external influence, and regional and international geopolitical shifts, and what these dynamics mean for Syrians seeking truth and redress. The webinar aimed to offer recommendations for a credible path toward political transformation and democratic governance in Syria.
Huquqyat’s participation reflected its ongoing work to support justice and accountability efforts and to contribute to legal and human rights discussions on the conditions necessary for genuine transitional justice in Syria, including the centrality of victims’ and survivors’ rights and the need to connect accountability with political and institutional reform.
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