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Counter-Terrorism Court as a Tool for

War Crimes, a Report by the Violations


Documentation Center in Syria
july 9, 2015

ReportonCounterTerrorismCourtsinSyriaby

VDC

TheViolationsDocumentationCenter(VDC),aSyrianhumanrights
documentationorganization,recentlypublisheda
reportcalledCounterTerrorismCourt:aToolforWarCrimes.The
reportdetailstheestablishmentoftheCounterTerrorismCourt(CTC)
inSyriainresponsetoCounterTerrorismLawNo.19issuedonJune
28,2012.Law19includesdefinitionsofterroristact,terrorist
organizationandterrorismfinancing,alongwiththepunishmentsfor
each.Thereportusesbothpubliclyavailableinformationanditsown
documentationtoarguethat,sinceitsestablishment,theCTChasnot

followdueprocessandhasinsteadrenderedpoliticized,biased,and
unfairjudgementsagainstdetaineeswithnoregardtofactual
evidence.VDCexplainsthatthepurposeofCTCsistosuppress
and stifle any opposition voicesandtoensuretheregimes
stabilitywhereasmallclancontrolsdifferentgovernment
establishmentsaswellasallthecountrysresources.Thisreport
providesvaluableinsightintoSyriasflawedlegalinstitutionsand
demonstratesareasthatareinneedofinstitutionalreforminthepost
conflicttransition.
ThereportreliesheavilyoninterviewswithSyrianlegalexpertsand
formerdetainees.WithitswidenetworkinSyriaandneighboring
countries,VDCwaswellpositionedtoaccessfirsthandaccountsof
thesystem.Onelawyerintervieweddescribedtheinstitutional
problemswiththeCTCs:Thedetaineesinquestionsoftenconfess
undertortureMostofthosereferredtoCTCarepeacefulactivists
andordinarycitizens.Yet,theCTCjudgesthemwithoutanyevidence
...supportingtheprosecutorscharges.Judgestypicallydonotpay
attentiontothedetaineesstatementsandtendtoturnablindeyeto
theeffectsoftortureontheirbodies.Althoughthespecific
proceduresforeachcaseisarbitraryandrelativelyunknown,the
reportdescribesthegeneralprocessthatdetaineesundergo.First,
governmentofficialstorturedetaineesintoconfessingforacrimethat
alignswiththemandateoftheCTC.Aftertheconfession,local
prisonsreferthecasetotheCTC,afterwhichthedetaineearecutoff
fromtheirfamiliesandlawyersandlittleinformationemergesabout
theirtrialandsentencing.Basedonthesecoercedconfessions,the
CTCoftenissuesdeathsentences,morethananyothercourtinSyria.

ThesestatementsandothersinthereportdiscredittheCTCandits
decisionmakingprocess.
AfterexplainingthearbitrarinessoftheCTCproceedings,thereport
examinestheCTCthroughthelegallensoftheGenevaConventions
whichforbidstatesfromcarryingoutextrajudicialdeathsentences
andexecutions.Accordingtoreport,theSyriangovernmentclearly
hasbeenviolatingtheGenevaConventionsthroughthe
CTCssummary proceduresthatlackinbasicguaranteesof
impartiality.Thereportconcludesbyarguingthatthecourtsarenot
onlybeingusedastoolsforwarcrimes,butthewidespreadand
systematicapplicationofLaw19mightalsoamounttoacrimeagainst
humanity.VDCslegalanalysisaddsdepthtoitsdocumentationand
providessupporttothefindingsthattheCTCsareinclearviolationof
internationallaw.
Oneareainwhichthereportwaslackingwasinthedescriptionofthe
methodologyusedtogatherdata.Thereportbrieflymentionsthat
interviewswereconductedandtestimonieswerecollectedbutitdoes
notelaborateonareplicableprocess.Althoughthesensitivesituation
inSyriapresentsdifficultiesinfullydisclosingoperationaldetails,a
generaloutlineofthemethodologywouldhavelentadditional
credibilitytothefindingsandallowedforgreatertransparencyand
accountability.Forexample,thereportisnotclearonwhether
qualitativeorquantitativemethodswereusedorwhetherresearchers
reliedonsurveysorindepthinterviews.Thereportalsodoesnot
provideinformationonthesamplesizeandsampleselectionprocess
orexplanationofthetimelineanddurationoftheresearch.
Despitethemethodologicalgaps,theVDCreportprovidescompelling
evidencethattheCTCviolatesdueprocessateverystage,constituting

awarcrimeandpossiblyacrimeagainsthumanity.Thereports
emphasisontheabysmaljudicialsysteminSyriaultimatelypointsto
theneedforinstitutionalreform.Institutionalreformisakeyaspectof
thetransitionaljusticeprocessandisvitaltoensurethattheabuses
thatledtodiscontentandconflictarenotreincarnatedinthepost
conflictperiod,creatingthefoundationforlongtermpeace.Post
conflictstateslikeSyriaareusuallyrecoveringfromdecadesof
corruptionandpoliticalmanipulationthathaveerodedtheintegrityof
governmentstructures,requiringconcertedeffortstorebuildthese
institutions.Indepthresearch,likethereportpublishedbyVDC,
provideinsightintothespecificflawswithininstitutionsandlawsthat
havecausedthesystematicabusesdocumenteddailyinSyriaandcan
provideguidanceonhowtheyshouldbereformedinthetransition
period.
ThefullVDCreportcanbeaccessedhere.
FormoreinformationandtoprovidefeedbackpleaseemailSJAC
atinfo@syriaaccountability.org.

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