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The SJAC Weekly Update- June 11, 2013

With escalation looming, accountabilitymore urgent than ever

Violence in Syria looks about to get

even worse. Just as the United

States and the EU announce they

will supply arms to rebel groups,

reports say Iran will send in 4,000

troops to support Al Assad.

Meanwhile, both the opposition and

the regime (alongside Hezbollah)

are preparing to wage a fierce battle for Aleppo, and last weeks killings

in Hatla underscore the ongoing sectarian dimension of the conflict.

With all signs pointing to escalating violence, Syrians are even more likely

to suffer human rights violations and greater incidence of other crimes.

But other than human rights-focused groups like Human Rights Watch

and Amnesty International, most large organizations and governments

only condemn violations when it aligns with political ends. Russia, for

instance, has downplayedthe regimes systematic brutality (including

chemical weapons attacks) while those against the regime have waved

off repeated rebel violations as isolated incidents. Simply put,

geostrategic and military factors are of primary concern to most foreign

actors. Clearly then, we must look elsewhere to advance effective human

rights and transitional justice efforts.

Because, not despite, of the specter of escalation, now is a critical time to

spread awareness about transitional justice mechanisms among

Syrians. Accountability and justice are important deterrents for continued

violence. Theyre also fundamental for future peace building efforts as

transitional justice processes help people rebuild their societies, deal with

the past, and find ways to move forward.

Knowledge about transitional justice is quite limited, but its important for

Syrians to know that crimes are not going undocumented and that

mechanisms designed to facilitate peace and reconciliation exist and can

be made use of as desired. Syrians who dont know about truth-seeking,

reparations, and possibilities for institutional reform, for instance, cannot

demand them. For Syrians who have seen only the rule of violence in

Transitional justiceworking group

meetingsunderway

After this weekend's first meetingon prosecutions, Syrian and

international experts will convenetomorrow and Thursday for a

working group discussingstrategies for reparations andmemorialization in Syria. More

information forthcoming.

More resourcesavailable on theSJAC website

Visit the SJAC's Resourcespage to find documents in

Arabic and English ondocumentation and transitional

justice. Above, the

RSSTranslate

http://thinkprogress.org/security/2013/06/04/2097821/mccain-syria-rebels-war-crimes/?mobile=nchttp://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/06/2013614152849859283.htmlhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/14/syrian-rebels-showdown-aleppo-hezbollahhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/14/syrian-rebels-showdown-aleppo-hezbollahhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/tony709/7330203854/http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fenglish.alarabiya.net%2Fen%2FNews%2Fmiddle-east%2F2013%2F06%2F16%2FHezbollah-trains-Assad-forces-for-Aleppo-offensive-.html&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNFJsBKCOncDbOxGq-OC5L8eD4Co5whttp://www.flickr.com/photos/tony709/7330203854/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iran-to-send-4000-troops-to-aid-president-assad-forces-in-syria-8660358.htmlhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/tony709/7330203854/http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-concludes-syrian-forces-used-chemical-weapons/2013/06/13/59b03c66-d46d-11e2-a73e-826d299ff459_story.html?hpid=z1http://www.flickr.com/photos/tony709/7330203854/http://blog.syriaaccountability.org/http://blog.syriaaccountability.org/http://blog.syriaaccountability.org/http://blog.syriaaccountability.org/http://blog.syriaaccountability.org/http://us6.campaign-archive1.com/?u=60569b6d523ba80f46a288a64&id=d21134e777&e=d22ed61cbd#translatehttp://us6.campaign-archive1.com/feed?u=60569b6d523ba80f46a288a64&id=0a7405c641http://us6.campaign-archive1.com/?u=60569b6d523ba80f46a288a64&id=d21134e777&e=d22ed61cbd#translatehttp://us6.campaign-archive1.com/feed?u=60569b6d523ba80f46a288a64&id=0a7405c641http://www.flickr.com/photos/tony709/7330203854/http://www.flickr.com/photos/tony709/7330203854/http://www.flickr.com/photos/tony709/7330203854/http://www.flickr.com/photos/tony709/7330203854/http://us6.campaign-archive1.com/?u=60569b6d523ba80f46a288a64&id=d21134e777&e=d22ed61cbd#translatehttp://us6.campaign-archive1.com/feed?u=60569b6d523ba80f46a288a64&id=0a7405c641http://syriaaccountability.org/en/reports/http://syriaaccountability.org/en/reports/http://www.flickr.com/photos/tony709/7330203854/http://thinkprogress.org/security/2013/06/04/2097821/mccain-syria-rebels-war-crimes/?mobile=nchttp://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/06/2013614152849859283.htmlhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/14/syrian-rebels-showdown-aleppo-hezbollahhttp://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fenglish.alarabiya.net%2Fen%2FNews%2Fmiddle-east%2F2013%2F06%2F16%2FHezbollah-trains-Assad-forces-for-Aleppo-offensive-.html&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNFJsBKCOncDbOxGq-OC5L8eD4Co5whttp://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iran-to-send-4000-troops-to-aid-president-assad-forces-in-syria-8660358.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-concludes-syrian-forces-used-chemical-weapons/2013/06/13/59b03c66-d46d-11e2-a73e-826d299ff459_story.html?hpid=z1http://blog.syriaaccountability.org/http://syriaaccountability.org/

7/28/2019 With Escalation Looming, Accountability More Urgent Than Ever- The SJAC Weekly Update

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6/19/13 5:With escalation looming, accountability more urgent than ever- The SJAC Weekly Update

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recent years, the importance of illuminating an alternate vision cannot be

underestimated. Expectations can affect outcomes.

After education and awareness, mobilization will be key. How high profile,

how much of a priority will accountability be? That can very much be

determined by Syrians themselves, especially if they come together as

individuals, groups, and communities to mobilize. Specific and persistent

calls for accountability can ensure that the post-conflict environment need

not be dictated solely by the most powerful actors. The more that Syrians

demand a transition that fosters peace, stability, and unity, the more likely

that future will come to pass. KEEP READING.

"International NegotiationsHandbook" contains guidance

on successful planning andstrategies for conducting

negotiations.

Follow@SJAC_info

The SJAC is an independent, non-political, Syrian-led, and multi-laterally supported organization that serves as acoordinating body for all actors promoting transitional justice and accountability for Syria. The SJAC providesvetted, accurate data on human rights violations occurring on all sides of the conflict in Syria. The SJAC expertiseand data is used in the transitional justice process for Syria.

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