{"id":6879,"date":"2026-11-13T01:04:02","date_gmt":"2026-11-13T00:04:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hevdesti.org\/?p=6879"},"modified":"2026-11-13T01:04:56","modified_gmt":"2026-11-13T00:04:56","slug":"en-call-on-syria-and-france-to-allocate-a-portion-of-recovered-assets-for-reparations-to-victims-and-survivors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hevdesti.org\/en\/en-call-on-syria-and-france-to-allocate-a-portion-of-recovered-assets-for-reparations-to-victims-and-survivors\/","title":{"rendered":"Call on Syria and France to Allocate a Portion of Recovered Assets for Reparations to Victims and Survivors"},"content":{"rendered":"

Synergy Association for Victims, together with a number of Syrian and international victims\u2019 associations and civil society organisations, has joined a joint call addressed to the Syrian and French governments, urging them to allocate a portion of the proceeds from assets confiscated from Rifaat al-Assad to provide reparations for survivors and victims of gross human rights violations.<\/p>\n

The call stresses that the return of these funds should be an opportunity to advance justice for victims and address their ongoing needs. This includes allocating resources for compensation and rehabilitation, while ensuring their meaningful participation in setting spending priorities, designing programmes and overseeing their implementation, with transparency and accountability at every stage.<\/p>\n

It also calls on both governments to involve survivors\u2019 associations and independent Syrian civil society organisations in decisions on how these funds are used, before projects are approved and resources allocated, ensuring that the funds are directed towards addressing the harm suffered by victims and their families.<\/p>\n

The full text of the joint call is available below:<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

To:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mr Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Syria<\/p>\n

Mr Jean-No\u00ebl Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, France<\/p>\n

Cc: Mr Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Guillaume, France\u2019s Special Envoy for Syria<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Dear Ministers,\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

We, the undersigned organisations, urge Syria and France to work together to prioritise reparations for victims and survivors of gross human rights violations in the allocation of proceeds from assets confiscated from Rifaat al-Assad. As the two governments prepare to exchange project proposals, we call for a dedicated allocation for reparations and meaningful survivor participation before decisions on the use of these funds are agreed.<\/p>\n

Under the Assad regime, corruption and grave human rights violations were mutually reinforcing. Detention and disappearance enabled the confiscation of homes, businesses and savings, while families paid to obtain information about loved ones or secure their release. In its 2022 report, They Took Everything<\/em><\/a>, the Association of Detainees and the Missing in Sednaya Prison (ADMSP) estimated that the regime had confiscated more than US$1.5 billion in detainees\u2019 assets since 2011<\/a>. This extraction generated revenue for the regime while leaving survivors and families without the resources to recover from abuse. Returning wealth accumulated within this system creates an opportunity to address that connection between illicit enrichment and enduring harm.<\/p>\n

The planned return of proceeds from assets confiscated from Rifaat al-Assad marks the first implementation of the restitution mechanism established by France\u2019s Law No. 2021-1031 of 4 August 2021<\/a>. This framework provides for funds to benefit the populations concerned through cooperation and development activities, with transparency, accountability and civil-society participation. The forthcoming France\u2013Syria return arrangements will therefore set an important precedent, attracting close attention within Syria and internationally.<\/p>\n

We welcome France\u2019s action to recover these assets and return their proceeds for the benefit of the Syrian people. However, the asset return process itself can be reparative: by acknowledging the wrongs suffered, giving survivors influence over decisions, and directing funds towards repairing the harms survivors suffered under Assad. Survivors of torture, sexual violence and other grave violations, and families of the disappeared, face daily physical pain, trauma, economic hardship and exclusion. Compensation, rehabilitation, education and livelihood measures can restore their health, security and participation in society. Designed with survivors and grounded in recognition of their rights, these measures would make reparations an integral part of Syria\u2019s recovery and development, and would be a much-needed investment in human capital, social cohesion and peacebuilding.\u00a0 We therefore call on the French and Syrian authorities, to:<\/p>\n