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STORY: OHCHR / SYRIA HUMAN RIGHTS – ARABIC
TRT: 2:43
SOURCE: OHCHR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ARABIC / NATS
DATELINE: 5 DECEMBER 2025, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / FILE
FILE – GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
1.Wide shot, exterior, Palais Willson
5 DECEMBER 2025, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
2. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Thameen Al-Kheetan, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“In a few days, Syria will mark one year since the fall of the Assad regime.
While the interim authorities have taken encouraging steps towards addressing past violations, these steps are only the beginning of what needs to be done.
We continue to see distressing accounts of summary executions, arbitrary killings and abductions, mainly targeting members of certain communities and individuals accused of affiliation with the former government. Hundreds were killed since the fall of the former regime. These killings were carried out by security forces of the interim authorities, groups affiliated with them, elements associated with the former government, local armed groups and unidentified armed individuals.
Other reported violations and abuses include sexual violence, arbitrary detentions, looting, destruction of homes, forced evictions and confiscations of houses, land and property, in addition to restrictions on freedoms of expression and of peaceful assembly. In many of these instances, the violence has mainly affected certain communities, including Alawites, Druze, Christians and Bedouins. It has been fed by rising hate speech, both online and on the streets. The past year has also been marked by repeated Israeli military operations, including incursions, and occupation of additional territory. We have received reports of civilian casualties. The integration of former armed groups into new security forces has so far happened in a hasty manner, without proper human rights-based vetting. This vetting and a proper security sector reform are crucial to ensuring that perpetrators of serious violations of international law are not integrated into security forces and prevent further violations.
All these violations – past and present – must be independently, thoroughly and transparently investigated, and those responsible held to account. Accountability, justice, peace and security of all Syrians are absolute prerequisites for a successful transition. Victims’ rights to effective remedies and reparation must be fulfilled.”
FILE – GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
4.Wide shot, exterior, Palais Willson
UN Human Rights spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said that while the interim authorities in Syria “have taken encouraging steps towards addressing past violations, these steps are only the beginning of what needs to be done.”
In a statement marking one year since the fall of the Assad regime in a few days, Al-Kheetan said, “We continue to see distressing accounts of summary executions, arbitrary killings and abductions, mainly targeting members of certain communities and individuals accused of affiliation with the former government. Hundreds were killed since the fall of the former regime.”
“These killings were carried out by security forces of the interim authorities, groups affiliated with them, elements associated with the former government, local armed groups and unidentified armed individuals,” Al-Kheetan said.
He also said, “Other reported violations and abuses include sexual violence, arbitrary detentions, looting, destruction of homes, forced evictions and confiscations of houses, land and property, in addition to restrictions on freedoms of expression and of peaceful assembly.”
The human rights spokesperson continued, “In many of these instances, the violence has mainly affected certain communities, including Alawites, Druze, Christians and Bedouins,” adding that “it has been fed by rising hate speech, both online and on the streets.”
Al-Kheetan said, “ The past year has also been marked by repeated Israeli military operations, including incursions, and occupation of additional territory. We have received reports of civilian casualties.”
“The integration of former armed groups into new security forces has so far happened in a hasty manner, without proper human rights-based vetting. This vetting and a proper security sector reform are crucial to ensuring that perpetrators of serious violations of international law are not integrated into security forces and prevent further violations,” he added.
The human rights spokesperson concluded, “All these violations – past and present – must be independently, thoroughly and transparently investigated, and those responsible held to account. Accountability, justice, peace and security of all Syrians are absolute prerequisites for a successful transition. Victims’ rights to effective remedies and reparation must be fulfilled.”
