Syria Papers

April, 2014

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Amnesty is necessary to end a conflict. When the Syrian regime and the opposition enter a productive political process, the question of amnesty and accountability will become central. The opposition must be prepared to negotiate a deal (whether in the long or short term) to end the conflict without sacrificing the requirements of justice and accountability. Experience of successful transitions elsewhere shows that it is possible to develop an amnesty program as part of a process for achieving peace while still ensuring that accountability measures hold authors of major crimes accountable. These accountability mechanisms allow for the implementation of justice, while truth-seeking and reconciliation mechanisms are used to help reconstruct the social contract for the divided society.

In December 2013, an Arab Reform Initiative (ARI) seminar addressed the question of transitional justice in Syria with a special focus on the issue of amnesty. Participants included senior legal experts, researchers, political figures and lawyers with extensive experience in transitional justice in post-conflict situations.