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Syrians demand justice for crimes committed during Assad era| Inside Story

Syrians demand justice for crimes committed during Assad era| Inside Story
By Alastair McCready, Royce Kurmelovs, Umut Uras, Maziar Motamedi, Virginia Pietromarchi and Edna Mohamed
Published On 14 Dec 2024

This live page is now closed. You can continue to follow our coverage here.

14 Dec 2024 - 23:59
 (23:59 GMT)

That’s a wrap from us

Thank you for joining us for updates on everything related to Syria after al-Assad’s ouster.

You can read more on families continuing to search for loved ones at Syria’s “slaughterhouse”, here.

Watch our video on the images and narratives emerging in the first few days of the fall of al-Assad, here.

14 Dec 2024 - 23:45
 (23:45 GMT)

Here’s what happened today

We will be closing this live page soon, but before we do, here’s a recap of the day’s major developments:

  • Eight Arab foreign ministers met in Jordan and expressed their commitment to supporting a peaceful and Syrian-led political transition.
  • US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Washington has been in “direct contact” with the opposition group which toppled al-Assad’s regime, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
  • The Turkish flag was raised at its embassy in Damascus as the mission resumed operations following a 12-year hiatus.
  • HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa says his group is communicating with Western embassies as it tries to restore governance in Syria. He added that Syria was too “exhausted” for another war amid Israeli forces seizing a buffer zone in the occupied Golan Heights.
  • The Israeli army’s chief of staff, Herzi Halevi, told troops in the occupied Golan Heights, “We are not intervening in what is happening in Syria.”
  • Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said the Israeli seizure of a buffer zone was “evidence” that Syria is facing a “dangerous expansionist enemy”.
  • The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says at least 21 civilians, including two children, have been killed by unexploded ordnance.
  • Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati has called on Syrians who sought refuge in his country to return home.
14 Dec 2024 - 23:30
 (23:30 GMT)

The human cost of al-Assad’s rule on Syria

14 Dec 2024 - 23:15
 (23:15 GMT)
Analysis

WATCH: Doubtful that Arab gov’ts will walk their talk about helping Syria

14 Dec 2024 - 23:00
 (23:00 GMT)

Arab, EU, UN officials call on Syria to respect all communities

On Saturday, foreign ministers from eight Arab countries met in Jordan and vowed to stand by Syria as it transitions.

In a statement, the foreign ministers said that “all political and social forces” must be represented, and warned against “any ethnic, sectarian or religious discrimination”.

The Arab diplomats also attended a separate meeting in Aqaba with the foreign ministers from Turkiye and the US, UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen and the EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas.

A joint statement issued by Blinken following that meeting stressed “respect for human rights” in Syria and the importance of combating “terrorism and extremism”, calling on “all parties” to cease hostilities in Syria.

14 Dec 2024 - 22:45
 (22:45 GMT)

US, Turkiye respond to fall of al-Assad

Since the fall of the al-Assad regime last week, a series of rapid developments have taken place.

One of the key developments occurred on Saturday after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that Washington had been in “direct contact” with HTS.

Blinken added that the easing of US sanctions on Syria, imposed during al-Assad’s rule, would depend on “sustained action” by the group, which has appointed an interim government until March, to meet the expectations of the international community.

At the same time, Turkiye reopened its embassy in Damascus and raised its flag over the diplomatic building 12 years after it closed early in Syria’s civil war.

Turkish officials previously emphasised that the future of the country was down to Syrians.

14 Dec 2024 - 22:30
 (22:30 GMT)

‘We will hold al-Assad accountable’

The Syrian Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, posted a video on X showing its head, Raed al-Saleh, addressing the families of the victims and survivors of the former Syrian regime in front of the Palace of Justice in Damascus.

Al-Saleh pledged to hold the ousted president accountable for the documented crimes and violations committed by his regime over 14 years, expressing in the video his support for Syrians in achieving justice by all means.

“Today, I promise you from in front of the Palace of Justice, not from anywhere else, to work with all legal institutions to hold the head of the regime accountable after all these violations,” he said.

14 Dec 2024 - 22:27
 (22:27 GMT)
Developing

New Israeli air strikes reported on Syria

Israel has launched more than 60 strikes on Syrian territory over the past few hours, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said late on Saturday.

Israel fired 61 missiles at Syrian military sites in less than five hours on Saturday evening, it reported.

14 Dec 2024 - 22:15
 (22:15 GMT)

Egypt’s president says Syrian unity should be preserved

Egypt’s president has held talks with Brett McGurk, the US’s national security council coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, according to a statement by his office.

The statement said that the two emphasised the depth of the strategic relations between Egypt and the US, and the need to continue strengthening them in what serves their common interests.

14 Dec 2024 - 22:00
 (22:00 GMT)

WATCH: Can Syria’s new leadership establish a legal system to ensure fair trials?

Syria’s new administration is pledging accountability for crimes committed during the al-Assad family’s rule.

About 150,000 people were detained and forcibly disappeared since the crackdown on pro-democracy rallies in 2011 that set off the war.

But can Syria’s new leadership establish a sound legal system to ensure fair trials?

Al Jazeera’s Inside Story speaks to experts on how those responsible for crimes will be judged.

Watch the discussion below:

14 Dec 2024 - 21:45
 (21:45 GMT)

Syrian bar owners express concern amid new government

Following the HTS opposition group’s takeover of Damascus, Safi, an owner of a pub in the old city, is reopening his doors for the busy Christmas season.

After rumours spread that the opposition groups were cracking down on bars, Safi told AFP that he went to the police post they control on the Bab Touma roundabout.

“I told them that I own a bar and would like to hold a party and serve alcoholic drinks,” he said.

“They responded: ‘Yes, open the place, there is no problem with that at all. You have the right to work and live your life as you did before,'” he added.

The new interim government has not made any official statement on the status of alcohol, but has stressed that it will be tolerant of all social and religious groups in Syria.

However, Safi and other bar and pub owners want the interim government to make a firmer public statement that they are safe to sell alcohol.

A pub owner serves whiskey to customers in Damascus on December 13, 2024 [File: Aris Messins/AFP]
14 Dec 2024 - 21:30
 (21:30 GMT)

Syria’s Christian community celebrates fall of al-Assad amid Christmas

Hanna Maradshi, a Christian Damascus resident, says he is “so happy” in the fall of the previous government, and now they’re trying to be “one people”.

“We’re trying to celebrate Christmas … and the New Year. Most of the people are happy,” Maradshi told Al Jazeera.

Moataz Haydar, a teacher in Damascus, also said he feels the same as Maradshi and that Syria is “one country, one people, we live together as Muslims [and] Christians”.

“We are so happy with the new change, new atmosphere … and we hope for the best,” he added.

14 Dec 2024 - 21:15
 (21:15 GMT)
Analysis

No criticism from US as Israeli warplanes pounded Syria

US’s former ambassador in Damascus, Robert Ford, said that he was not aware of any US criticism of Israel’s bombing campaign against Syrian targets.

“I have seen no criticism of the Israeli action from United States government spokespeople in Washington,” Ford told Al Jazeera.

Addressing Turkish and US relations regarding Syria, Ford said that both countries have not yet reconciled their differences in terms of their support for rival opposition armed groups in the Syria civil war, which continues to the present day.

Ankara and Washington agree on the value of preventing the return of ISIL (ISIS) into central and eastern Syria, but they disagree on strategies to achieve that objective, which is in their “common interest”, Ford said.

“I have seen no evidence yet that the Americans are prepared to relinquish their use and partnership with the Syrian Democratic Forces. And I have seen no indication that Turkiye has backtracked from its animosity towards the Syrian Democratic Forces,” he said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken shakes hands with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in the Turkish capital Ankara on December 13, 2024 [Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool via Reuters]
14 Dec 2024 - 21:00
 (21:00 GMT)

ICRC engineers dispatched to maintain critical Syrian dam

A team of engineers has been dispatched to help with the maintenance of the Tishreen Dam, a critical source of power and electricity in eastern Syria.

The International Committee of the Red Cross in Syria (ICRC) has provided support, with agreement from Syria’s new government, to shore up the structure and ensure its continued operation.

The Tishreen Dam, operated by the General Organisation for Euphrates Dams, supplies drinking water and electricity to eastern Syria. The dam, in combination with the Tabqa and Baath dams, also provides over two-thirds of the country’s power.

Kurdish SDF fighters previously controlled the dam with support from the United States, taking control of the facility in 2015. The new Syrian government has since taken control of the site.

https://x.com/ICRC_sy/status/1867658431852597573

14 Dec 2024 - 20:45
 (20:45 GMT)

LISTEN: How the al-Assads took Syria

Syria’s inner circle of power was dominated by the al-Assad family for more than 50 years. But a decade of war exposed its cracks.

In July 2020, Al Jazeera’s The Take spoke to Journalist Sam Dagher about the story of the now-former President Bashar al-Assad, who wasn’t meant for power but was lifted up by the family name that consumed him.

Listen to the discussion below:

14 Dec 2024 - 20:30
 (20:30 GMT)

Lebanon’s PM calls on Syrian refugees to return to homeland

Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati calls on Syrians who sought refuge in the country to return home.

“The consequences of the Syrian war made Lebanon home to the largest number of refugees per capita, with one-third of our population comprising of Syrian refugees”, Mikati said at a Rome political festival.

“The strain on our resources has been substantial, worsening existing economic trouble and creating fierce competition for jobs and services,” he said, adding the “best resolution to this issue is for Syrians to go back to their homeland”.

According to the UN Refugee Agency, about 1.5 million Syrian refugees live in Lebanon after many fled their country following the 2011 civil war.

14 Dec 2024 - 20:15
 (20:15 GMT)

Iran’s rial drops to all-time low against the US dollar

Iran’s currency has hit a new all-time low against the US dollar amid uncertainty following the fall of longtime ally al-Assad and the upcoming return of Donald Trump to the US presidency.

The rial dropped to 756,000 to the dollar on the unofficial market, compared with 741,500 rials on Friday, according to Bonbast.com, which reports the exchange rate.

But the dollar has been gaining against the rial since early November amid concerns that Trump, once inaugurated, would re-impose his “maximum pressure” policy against Iran with tougher sanctions and empower Israel to strike Iranian nuclear sites.

14 Dec 2024 - 20:00
 (20:00 GMT)

Israeli bombing of Syria disrupting humanitarian operations, spreading fear: UN official

The UN’s humanitarian coordinator in Syria, Adam Abdelmoula, said:

  • “In the northeast there is a war between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the so-called Syrian National Army. There are also battles going on between the HTS Tahir al-Sham and the Syrian Democratic Forces in some areas around Deir Az-Zur, and also some fighting between the SDF and HTS in the northwest.”
  • “The police have disappeared since the HTS took over and now it is the HTS forces that are maintaining peace in all the areas that have been taken over from the previous regime.”
  • “While the UN and its assets may not have been a direct target of these [Israeli] air raids, they have the unintended consequence of not allowing us to conduct normal humanitarian operations for the fear of just being caught in the wrong time in the wrong place. Also, they create an atmosphere of fear among the population.”
  • “Some of these air raids have in the past killed innocent civilians.”
UN staff leave the UN office in Damascus, Syria, in 2012 [File: Khaled al- Hariri/Reuters]
14 Dec 2024 - 19:45
 (19:45 GMT)

Israeli army chief says ‘no intention’ of managing Syria

The Israeli army’s chief of staff Herzi Halevi told troops in the occupied Golan Heights that “we are not intervening in what is happening in Syria”.

“We have no intention of managing Syria,” Halevi said.

“We are unequivocally intervening in what determines the security of Israeli citizens here, behind us in the communities of the Golan Heights, and we are doing that professionally and correctly, and we are doing it with determination.”

14 Dec 2024 - 19:30
 (19:30 GMT)

Syria’s al-Sharaa says country cannot enter in a ‘new conflict’ with Israel

Opposition leader Ahmed al-Sharaa says Syria is too “exhausted” for another war amid Israeli forces seizing a buffer zone in the occupied Golan Heights.

“The Israelis have clearly crossed the disengagement line in Syria, which threatens a new unjustified escalation in the region,” al-Sharaa said in a statement on Telegram.

However, “the general exhaustion in Syria after years of war and conflict does not allow us to enter new conflicts”.

Since the fall of the Assad regime, Israel has conducted hundreds of air strikes on Syrian military positions and seized the area in what it claims is in “self-defence”.