Syria’s urgent fight for justice | Start Here

In this Start Here On-The-Road, Sandra Gathmann travels to Syria to find retired however the state is confronting its past and however radical are trying to rebuild their lives aft years of war.

Up to 300,000 radical successful Syria are missing and determination are thought to beryllium arsenic galore arsenic 66 wide graves crossed the country. We conscionable Wafa Ali Mustafa arsenic she faces up to the world that her father, who’s been missing for 12 years, is astir apt dead.

We spell wrong the recently opened Syrian Identification Centre, wherever forensic scientists are carrying retired painstaking enactment to place bodies. And successful an exclusive interview, we present 1 of Syria’s “shadow warriors” – a lawyer who risked his beingness to assistance smuggle retired 1.3 cardinal documents, creating an archive of grounds that links warfare crimes to authorities officials astatine the highest levels, close up to Bashar al-Assad himself.

Start Here besides hears from a antheral who says 10 of his relatives were taken by a pro-Assad militia. He’s distraught that the militia’s commandant appears to person been fixed amnesty by the caller Syrian authorities and delivers a stark ultimatum: “Either the authorities gives maine justness oregon I instrumentality justness myself.” His communicative is simply a almighty reminder of however fragile the concern remains successful Syria and however analyzable the process of transitional justness is.

Since the autumn of the Assad regime, determination person been outbreaks of sectarian unit successful Syria’s coastal areas and successful Suweyda, successful the south. Violence escalated erstwhile authorities forces – oregon fighters aligned with them – became involved, raising hard questions astir whether the caller government, led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, is consenting and capable to present justness fairly.

More than a cardinal Syrians person returned to their state successful the past year. We witnesser the joyousness and emotion of families astatine Damascus airport, who are yet being reunited aft years of separation.

As Syria looks towards the future, there’s anticipation and optimism – but besides tension, uncertainty, and an urgent request for crimes of the past to beryllium dealt with. Start Here is connected the crushed to research it all.

Presenter: Sandra Gathmann
Producer: Harriet Tatham
Video Editor: Georgios Iosif Skortsis
Graphics & Animation: Muaz Osman
Local producer: Aref Alkraz
Cinematographer: Omar Haj Kadour
Production Assistant: Noor Bayoumi
Executive Producer: Julia Mills

This movie was changeable successful Syria successful August 2025.