In April 2023, the Syrian Association for Citizens’ Dignity shared an important report published by the French newspaper Le Monde entitled “The Syrian Regime Must Be Held Accountable” which shed light on the referral of three Syrian regime officials to the French Criminal Court. It is related to their involvement in the suppression of the civil uprising that arose during the “Arab Spring” in 2011, and specifically in the death of two French-Syrian citizens, a father and his son, in Syrian prisons, without knowing the reasons behind their arrest or death. 

This trial is the first of its kind in France, and concerns key men in the Syrian repressive regime, who are accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes. The accused persons are Ali Mamlouk, the main official in the intelligence services and a close advisor to Bashar Al-Assad, Jamil Hassan, the former director of the Air Force Intelligence Services, and Abdel Salam Mahmoud, one of his subordinates. 

Although this trial will be conducted in absentia, it represents a strong message to the Syrian regime that impunity is no longer acceptable. This comes at a time when the regime continues its repressive policy in the areas under its control, and uses the media to color its image and implicate public opinion. 

The international community should not be carried away by the propaganda of the Syrian regime, nor surrender to its portrayal. There must be a constant understanding that any peace and stability in Syria requires holding the regime accountable and achieving justice. The Syrian Association for Citizens’ Dignity stresses the importance of not normalizing relations with the regime, and urges the international community not to believe that normalization will contribute to achieving a comprehensive political solution.