UN Syria Commission warns rights violations threaten fragile transition

09/09/2026

GENEVA — Syria’s political transition remains fragile despite progress in rebuilding state institutions, the UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic said on Wednesday, warning that continued human rights violations and selective accountability could undermine efforts to achieve lasting peace.

In a briefing to the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council, commissioners Monia Ammar and Fionnuala Ní Aoláin said Syria had taken important steps since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, including establishing a People’s Assembly and Constitutional Court in July.

More than 1.7 million refugees and nearly 2 million internally displaced people have returned, while efforts have also advanced to integrate the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into state institutions, the Commission said.

But the progress is unfolding alongside new violations and the unresolved legacy of years of conflict, making the establishment of legitimate and accountable institutions a central challenge for the transition.

Israeli Activity in Southern Syria

The Commission highlighted Israeli military activity in southern Syria as a major concern, saying Israel’s presence in Syrian territory had expanded and become increasingly entrenched since Assad’s fall.

It said Israeli forces had carried out repeated incursions, patrols, raids and house searches and established checkpoints and military facilities as part of what Israel calls a “security belt.” The measures have restricted residents’ movement and affected access to work, education and livelihoods, it said.

As of September, the Commission had documented the detention of 49 people, including two children, by Israeli forces inside Syrian territory. Some were transferred to Israel, where reports indicated they were being held incommunicado.

The Commission said some of the acts under investigation could amount to war crimes and warned of possible torture and ill-treatment.

It is also investigating alleged environmental and agricultural damage in Quneitra, including claims that chemicals were sprayed from the air over farmland and grazing areas.

The Commission said Israel, which it described as an occupying power, has obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and property.

Transitional Justice Under Scrutiny

The Commission said transitional justice would be a key test of Syria’s new political phase and warned against selective accountability.

“All perpetrators of serious violations must be held accountable regardless of their identity or affiliation,” it said, warning that selective justice could deepen grievances and undermine reconciliation.

It called for amendments to Syria’s 1949 Penal Code to criminalize core international crimes and urged a review of cases involving thousands of detainees accused of links to the former military and security apparatus, while guaranteeing their right to legal defense and fair trials.

The Commission said major issues arising from the July 2025 violence in Suwayda also remained unresolved, including the fate of missing and detained people, the return of displaced residents and accountability for abuses.

Although a limited number of trials began in July 2026, accountability for serious violations remained limited, including potential responsibility among commanders, it said.

The crisis also disrupted education, with only a small proportion of about 13,000 students able to sit for middle- and secondary-school examinations.

In coastal and western Syria, the Commission said it continued investigating violations during the March 2025 violence, including sectarian killings and attacks against members of the Alawite community. It is also investigating reports of mothers and children being killed in Homs and threats that allegedly led some complainants to withdraw their cases.

Detention and Civil Liberties

The Commission documented nine deaths in detention facilities this year, including former humanitarian worker Muhammad Ghamira, who died after being detained at a police station in the Latakia countryside. His death remains under investigation.

The Commission also cited an earlier report documenting torture and ill-treatment at 18 detention facilities and 12 temporary detention sites.

It welcomed an investigation into Ghamira’s death but urged the government to strengthen safeguards against torture, including by ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture and establishing a national preventive mechanism.

The Commission said press freedom, freedom of expression and association had expanded, but expressed concern about activists being detained for criticizing the government and the continued use of Cybercrime Law No. 20 of 2022.

It also warned of rising hate speech and threats against minorities and women, noting that women make up only 10% of the new People’s Assembly.

Northeast Syria and Roj Camp

In northeastern Syria, the Commission said it was investigating violations during fighting between government forces and the SDF in January 2026, including the killing of civilians and fighters who were hors de combat.

Hundreds of SDF-affiliated fighters remain missing, while allegations of unlawful killings of prisoners are also under investigation.

The Commission expressed particular concern about foreign children held for years because of alleged family ties to the Islamic State (ISIS), stressing that detention of children should be a last resort and that children associated with armed groups should be treated as victims and provided rehabilitation.

It called for the closure of Roj Camp, which it described as the world’s largest site of mass detention of women and children on security grounds. Conditions have deteriorated amid reports of night raids, extortion and violence, while children have been deprived of basic rights, including education, it said.

The Commission also warned that the transfer of more than 5,700 men and boys from more than 60 nationalities to Iraq by US forces before the Syrian government entered northeastern Syria could violate the principle of non-refoulement.

The Commission said international support for Syria’s transition must be accompanied by respect for international law and accountability.

“Overlooking past violations or addressing them selectively” could undermine reconciliation and reproduce the causes of conflict, it warned, stressing that a stable Syria requires institutions capable of protecting rights, delivering justice for victims and preventing abuses from recurring.