Inclusive justice in Syria: building media capacity, putting victims at the centre

Contexte

The fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, after more than fifty years of dictatorship — including fourteen years of civil war — marked a major turning point for Syria. The following year, the creation of the National Commissions for Transitional Justice and for Missing Persons opened a historic opportunity to address past violations, recognize the victims, and strengthen the rule of law.
However, this transition remains fragile. Disinformation, polarized narratives, and a lack of reliable information limit citizens’ participation in the debates shaping the country’s future.
Independent and professional media are essential for explaining the mechanisms of transitional justice – whether it is to shed light on past violations, establish accountability, recognize victims’ rights, or reform institutions – in order to foster a fact-based public debate and enable citizens to monitor and hold accountable those involved in the transition.
The Fondation Hirondelle supports a national network of Syrian media outlets to produce rigorous, accessible, and independent reporting on issues of transitional justice, accountability, and citizen participation.

Implementation of the project 2026/2027

• Creation of a national network of 15 media partners and integration of state-run media
• Training and mentoring of Syrian journalists specializing in transitional justice
• Production of independent journalistic content covering all of Syria
• Strengthening the participation of Syrian women journalists
• Creation of a network bringing together media outlets and online content producers to promote the circulation of reliable information on transitional justice
• Publication of analyses that put the Syrian experience in the context of other transitional justice processes around the world, via Justice Info, the media outlet of the Fondation Hirondelle.
• Facilitation of dialogue between media outlets, civil society, and transitional justice institutions

OUTLOOK for the 2026 project

The success of transitional justice in Syria will depend not only on the institutions tasked with addressing past violations, but also on citizens’ ability to understand, follow, and participate in this process.
In 2026, the project will train and support Syrian journalists in covering transitional justice through training, editorial mentoring, and production support. Special attention will be given to women journalists. The project will also engage independent news producers to expand the dissemination of reliable information and will foster exchanges between media outlets, civil society organizations, and members of the Transitional Justice Commissions through roundtables, interviews, and reports.
The goal is to foster a sustainable network of journalists, media outlets, and content producers capable of supporting debates on justice, human rights, and governance. This effort will draw in particular on the expertise of Justice Info, the Fondation Hirondelle media outlet specializing in coverage of transitional justice processes around the world. Thanks to its unique experience and international network of experts and correspondents, Justice Info will help put Syrian experiences into perspective alongside those of other countries facing similar challenges, while strengthening the skills and practices of Syrian journalists.

ONLINE CONFERENCE WITH ARIJ : « An introduction to transitional justice »

On May 7, 2025, Justice Info — the Fondation Hirondelle’s online media outlet specializing in international justice — organized a webinar entitled “An Introduction to Transitional Justice”, in partnership with the Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ), an Amman-based NGO dedicated to supporting and promoting investigative journalism in newsrooms across the Middle East. Aimed at journalists, the conference shed light on transitional justice mechanisms and how to report on them.

During the session, moderated by Nadine Saify, ARIJ’s Social Media Manager, Thierry Cruvellier, Editor-in-Chief of Justice Info, outlined the key mechanisms of transitional justice — a set of judicial and non-judicial measures often implemented in the aftermath of large-scale human rights violations, particularly in contexts transitioning from war to peace or from dictatorship to democracy.

He discussed various measures that have been applied — or not — around the world, including criminal justice processes, truth-seeking initiatives, reparations for victims, vetting procedures, and memory preservation efforts.

The webinar also highlighted three golden rules for covering transitional justice issues: accuracy (ensuring all parties are represented), balance (providing essential contextual details), and clarity (translating the language of justice into terms accessible to the public).