Alumni
Syrians for Truth and Justice
Bassam Alhamad explains that it was thanks to EED seed funding that Syrians for Truth and Justice (STJ) was set up in 2017. Now a leading human rights NGO, STJ documents human rights violations perpetrated by all sides in the Syrian conflict, including by Turkish forces and Turkish backed armed groups. It focuses on human rights violations that are less monitored by other organisations, including economic, social, cultural and environmental rights.
Bassam explains that this was STJ’s objective from the offset: “We believe that justice must be inclusive. If we want justice for all Syrian people, we need to document violations by all parties of the conflict.”
STJ documents human rights violations, publishes reports on its website and via its social media, submits information and complaints to international mechanisms and provides legal support to victims of economic, civil and social rights violations. It has a team based both inside and outside Syria.
While STJ’s work has a particular focus on north-east Syria, it has focal points in governates throughout the country. It works closely with United Nations mechanisms. Including the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) and the Commission of Inquiry on Syria (CoI). Bassam also has a consultative role to the Office of the Special Envoy for Syria. Earlier this year, STJ submitted the first criminal complaint on violations in northwest Syria in collaboration with the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR).
Bassam notes that today, donors and other actors are more aware of taking an inclusive approach to the monitoring of human rights violations. He sees this as evidence of the effectiveness of STJ’s work.
“There is a greater emphasis today on inclusiveness, and condemning violations by all parties, not just the regime. This is very important as selective or biased justice will not bring real justice to people,” he says.
Over the past years, STJ has attracted funding from a variety of donors which has enabled it to expand its work. EED recently provided STJ with bridging grant to cover a funding shortfall.
The collapse of the Syrian regime at the end of 2024 has presented a unique opportunity for STJ to expand the geographical areas of its work and enabled it to access new evidence of human rights violations, including dozens of official documents from Syrian detention centres, as well to dozens of survivors who emerged from those places. STJ has also begun to reach new victims of the violations that began to emerge after the overthrow of the Assad regime.
This article reflects the views of the grantees featured and does not necessarily represent the official opinion of the EED.
