With all eyes on Lebanon’s south, number of Syrians leaving from northern shores spikes
Intolerable conditions in Lebanon are pushing increasing numbers of Syrians to take to the sea. With all eyes on escalating violence in southern Lebanon, the number of Syrians leaving from the north over the past two months reached more than four times the number for the same period in 2022.
HTS looks to Idlib’s Christians and Druze to whitewash violations (map)
After years of violations, HTS aims to adopt a new policy of openness towards Idlib’s minorities, returning some seized properties and encouraging Christians and Druze to return. Still, discrimination persists and the hardline group has not compensated property owners for years of losses.
Op-Ed: On HR 75, impunity is a pandemic—the UN should step up
As the Universal Declaration of Human Rights turns 75, Syrian human rights activist and legal researcher Mansour al-Omari calls on the United Nations to take action against a “pandemic” of impunity, including appointing a Special Rapporteur on Impunity for international crimes.
Nearly 2 years after IS prison attack, no compensation for owners of demolished Hasakah homes
Dozens of homes surrounding the al-Sinaa prison in Hasakah city were demolished in the wake of a major Islamic State attack in January 2022. Nearly two years later, homeowners have not been compensated despite AANES promises.
Suffering in silence: Cancer patients in northern Syria at the mercy of the crossings
This investigation highlights how cancer patients across northern Syria are paying the price for the country’s faltering healthcare system. Cancer medications are scarce, northern Syria lacks specialized health facilities, and border crossing closures and difficulties of internal travel stand in the way of timely treatment.
Fleeing the homeland: Real estate sales finance migration from Hama city
Nearly 13 years after the revolution, Syrians continue to flee the country—this time for economic reasons. In regime-held Hama city, financial hardship is driving a renewed wave of migration, as residents sell homes and property to fund a way out.
What does a French arrest warrant mean for normalization with Assad?
France’s international arrest warrant for Bashar al-Assad for complicity in crimes against humanity marks a historic first. What does it mean in practice, and what are its implications for seemingly unstoppable regional normalization?
Repression of Palestine solidarity leaves Syrians concerned for their future in Europe
For Syrians and Syrian-Palestinians, crackdowns on expressions of solidarity with Palestine have exposed a “double standard” in European democracies and reopened old wounds. As the political climate hardens, they fear their full participation in European society is increasingly at risk.
World Court orders Syria to stop torture, but advocates fear it is not enough
The UN’s highest court ordered Syria to take “all measures within its power” to prevent torture and preserve evidence related to a landmark case brought by the governments of Canada and the Netherlands. Syrian survivors and advocates welcomed the move, but had hoped for more.
Women returning from al-Hol face an uphill battle in Raqqa
Women returning to Raqqa from the al-Hol detention camp face major challenges as they seek to turn the page on their past. While they describe themselves as victims, some of their neighbors still view them as part of the Islamic State.