According to Kurdpress, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria—following a week-long visit to the country—issued a report on its official website calling for the fate of thousands of detained and missing persons to be clarified, for perpetrators of human rights violations to be held accountable, and for the process of transitional justice to be accelerated.

Two members of the Commission, Mounia Ammar and Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, visited Damascus, the Damascus countryside, Homs, Quneitra, Aleppo, Raqqa, and Al-Hasakah between July 1 and July 7, holding meetings with transitional government officials, civil society representatives, victims of human rights violations, and the families of detainees.

Commission members noted that their visit coincided with two bomb attacks in Damascus—attacks targeting a café near the Ministry of Justice and an area adjacent to the Four Seasons Hotel, resulting in civilian casualties.

The Commission condemned these attacks and expressed its solidarity with the victims and their families.

The report welcomes the progress made in drafting transitional justice legislation and the initiation of judicial proceedings regarding human rights violations committed under Syria's previous administration. However, the Commission emphasized that all trials must be conducted in accordance with fair trial standards and international law, and that Syrian penal laws must be aligned with international legal norms.

The Commission of Inquiry identified the situation of detainees as one of its primary concerns. The report states that despite the Syrian government's commitment to upholding prisoners' rights, many families remain unaware of the fate of their relatives in custody, and a large number of individuals are held in detention for extended periods without judicial review.

The Commission also expressed concern regarding conditions in detention centers across northern and eastern Syria—specifically the "Roj" camp—noting that children make up more than 60 percent of the camp's population.

The commission called on various countries to repatriate their citizens from the Roj and al-Hol camps and to release individuals who have been arbitrarily detained. It also urged the Syrian government to clarify the fate of approximately 3,500 Syrian citizens—including children—who were reportedly transferred to Iraq.

Regarding Al-Hasakah province, the commission announced that more than 1,000 personnel captured during the January clashes between Syrian Interim Government forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had been released; however, the fate of about 800 others remains unknown.

During their visit to Homs, members of the commission expressed concern regarding arbitrary attacks against individuals accused of collaborating with the former government and called for prompt, independent, and impartial investigations into all killings.

Elsewhere in the report, the commission highlighted the widespread destruction and confiscation of property during the war years and called for the establishment of fair mechanisms for the restitution of property or the provision of compensation to those affected. The body emphasized the need for special support for female heads of households in the process of reclaiming property rights.

The Commission of Inquiry also examined Israel's actions in Quneitra Governorate and reported receiving accounts of Israeli forces entering the area, the detention of civilians, the harassment of residents, the demolition of homes, and the obstruction of farmers' access to their land.

The report calls on Israel to reopen access routes and paths to agricultural lands and to release all civilians who have been arbitrarily detained.

The Commission welcomed the Syrian government's move to unify curricula nationwide and to provide children lacking identity documents with access to education and healthcare services. However, concern was expressed regarding the inability of students in certain areas of As-Suwayda province to take final exams due to insecurity.

Continuation of Investigations

In conclusion, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria expressed appreciation for the Syrian government's cooperation in facilitating visits to certain detention centers, although members of the Commission were denied access to a number of holding facilities in Raqqa and Al-Hasakah.

Established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2011, this commission is mandated to document and investigate human rights violations in Syria. Its mandate was most recently extended on April 7, 2026.