Transitional Justice in Syria

Following the establishment of Syria's National Commission for Missing Persons (NCMP) in May 2025, it was estimated that up to 300,000 people remain missing in the country.

 - How should Syrian civil society, the transitional government and the international community respond to this legacy?

 - What legal and institutional mechanisms are needed to uncover the fate of the missing and ensure accountability for crimes committed during the Assad dictatorship?

 - And how can Transitional Justice proceed in Syria?

These questions will be discussed by Karla Quintana, Head of UN IIMP (independent institution on missing persons in the syrian arab republic) for Syria and Anwar al-Bunni, Syrian human rights lawyer (Syrian Center for Legal Studies and Research).

The conversation explores the responsibilities of international actors, the role of international justice mechanisms, and the transitional justice processes needed to advance accountability, truth, and social reconciliation in Syria.

The discussion will be held in English and Arabic.

Karla Quintana has served as Head of the United Nations Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic. Previously, she led Mexico's National Search Commission for many years. For more than two decades, she has worked on the issue of missing persons.

Anwar al-Bunni is head of the Syrian Center for Legal Studies and Research and a Syrian human rights lawyer who has spent decades defending political prisoners, promoting the rule of law, and advocating for accountability for crimes committed by the Assad regime.

Kristin Helberg is a journalist and political analyst. She reported from Damascus and has written several books on Syria and researched the Syrian diaspora in Germany.

Participation in the event is free of charge. Registration via: berlin@umam-dr.org

The event is hosted by medico international, the Mena Prison Forum and UMAM D&R, with the support of the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung – as part of the programme of events accompanying the special exhibition “Sednaya: The Architecture of Repression and Death in Syria” by the Prisons Museum and UMAM D&R at the Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial.