Just before the anniversary of Assad’s fall, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) expressed serious concern about the slow pace of justice. A spokesman said, “While the interim authorities have taken encouraging steps towards addressing past violations, these steps are only the beginning of what needs to be done.”
Some Syrians have taken matters into their own hands, along, at times, with government forces. The OHCHR said that hundreds have been killed over the past year “by the security forces and affiliated groups, elements associated with the former government, local armed groups and unidentified armed individuals”.
They added: “Other reported violations and abuses include sexual violence, arbitrary detentions, destruction of homes, forced evictions, and restrictions on freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly.”
Alawite, Druze, Christian and Bedouin communities were mainly affected by the violence, the OHCHR said, which has been fed by rising hate speech both on- and offline.
