TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE IN SYRIA
Addressing Missing Persons and Accountability for the Crimes during the Assad Dictatorship
Publix, Berlin
2 SEP 2026
Following the establishment of Syria's National Commission for Missing Persons (NCMP) in May 2025, it was estimated that up to 300,000 people remain missing in the country. How should Syrian civil society, the transitional government and the international community respond to this legacy? What legal and institutional mechanisms are needed to uncover the fate of the missing and ensure accountability for crimes committed during the Assad dictatorship? How can Transitional Justice proceed in Syria?
These questions will be discussed by Head of UN IIMP for Syria (Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic) Karla Quintana and Syrian human rights lawyer Anwar Al-Bunni (Syrian Center for Legal Studies and Research). The conversation will explore the responsibilities of international actors, the role of international justice mechanisms, and the transitional justice processes needed to advance accountability, truth, and social reconciliation in Syria. Are there Syrian specifics?
The discussion will be held in English and Arabic.
Moderation: Kristin Helberg
Date & Time: 2 September 2026 | 6:30 PM
Location: Publix, Hermannstr. 90, 12051 Berlin
Participants
Karla Quintana has served as Head of the United Nations Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic since December 2024, with the rank of Assistant Secretary-General. Previously, she led Mexico's National Search Commission for many years. For more than two decades, she has worked on the issue of missing persons.
Anwar Al-Bunni is head of the Syrian Center for Legal Studies and Research and a Syrian human rights lawyer who has spent decades defending political prisoners, promoting the rule of law, and advocating for accountability for crimes committed by the Assad regime. The Center and Al-Bunni himself played a key role in preparing cases under the principle of universal jurisdiction, including the landmark Koblenz trial against a former Syrian intelligence officer.
Kristin Helberg is a journalist and political analyst. She reported from Damascus for seven years, has written several books on Syria and researched the Syrian diaspora in Germany. Today, she lives in Berlin as an author and West Asia expert. Since September 2024, she has been hosting the event series "Zeit zu reden" in Berlin.