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QAMISHLI, syria/" class="auto-internal-link">syria (North Press) – The fourth annual Victims Forum in northeast Syria convened on Friday in Qamishli under the slogan “Towards a Safe Return and Comprehensive Justice for Victims,” bringing together activists, human rights organisations, civil society groups and women’s organisations to press for concrete measures on return and transitional justice. Moreover, organised by the Ta’azur Association for Victims, the forum concentrated on the right to safe and voluntary return for those forcibly relocated, practical requirements to ensure returns, and mechanisms for transitional justice that include victims in leadership roles. Sessions addressed cases of enforced disappearance and the plight of people stripped of nationality, organisers stated.
Orhan Kamal, director of the Ta’azur Association for Victims, informed North Press that this was the first forum held after “the fall of the former regime,” adding that the event comes at a time “when the voice and hope of victims to return to their homes are rising. ” He stated the forum aims to “convey the voice of the victims to the relevant authorities inside Syria and to international actors,” and that its agenda includes drafting recommendations on safe return, disappearances and statelessness. Notably, speakers included representatives of local and regional rights organisations. Ibrahim Sheikho, director of a human rights group in Afrin, informed North Press their participation aimed to “deliver the voice of the relocated, especially those from Afrin, to the international community. ” Sheikho warned that “the suffering of these displaced people has not yet concluded and continues for more than eight years,” and urged the syrian-authorities-arrest-suspect-in-tadamon-massacre/" class="smart-internal-link" title="📰 Syrian authorities arrest suspect in Tadamon massacre">syrian/" class="auto-internal-link">syrian Interim administration to honour promises made during visits and meetings in Afrin.
He said the return of Afrin’s displaced should remain “a key item on the administration’s agenda” and called for returns to take place “with dignity and justice. ” The forum took place in Qamishli, a city in northeast Syria administered by local authorities and operating amid existing security arrangements. Organisers said recommendations and a list of priority measures would be forwarded to Syrian authorities and international stakeholders for follow-up. Participants emphasised victims’ central role in shaping transitional justice processes and reiterated calls for international attention to long-standing displacement and disappearance cases.
Forum organisers said working groups will finalise a set of practical steps and share them with relevant bodies for immediate consideration. By Atoun Jan