Can Syria’s new leadership establish a legal system to ensure fair trials? | The Syrian war

Syria’s new administration vows to be held accountable for crimes committed during the rule of the al-Assad family.

Around 150,000 people have been forcibly detained and disappeared since the crackdown on pro-democracy protests in 2011 that sparked the war.

Many are believed to have been murdered. Those who survived carry physical or psychological scars.

Now, the victims’ families are demanding justice. There is no lack of evidence.

But can Syria’s new leaders establish a strong legal system that guarantees fair trials? And what can the international community and the United Nations do to help?

Presenter: Bernard Smith

Guests:

Ibrahim Olabi: lawyer and member of the board of directors of the Syrian-British Consortium. He has researched and advised extensively on international legal cases related to the conflict in Syria.

Roger Lu Phillips: Legal director of the Syrian Justice and Accountability Center, which documents violations of human rights and international law in Syria.

Kholoud Helmi: Syrian journalist and human rights activist. She is a member of Families for Freedom, a movement of women whose relatives were detained and disappeared by the Assad regime.