Syrian revolution 2024
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Syria's missing detainees"We did not expect so few had survived"
The search for the missing is seen by many Syrians as crucial to rebuilding the nation. Mazin al-Balkhi of the International Commission on Missing Persons warns that the scale and arbitrary nature of the killings under Assad pose major challenges.
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Syria's economic recoveryHTS must reject Assad-era neoliberalism
Syrians are facing immense economic challenges—an unstable currency, shortages and a soaring cost of living—while the transitional government doubles down on Assad's neoliberal policies. True recovery demands a new approach.
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Women's rights in SyriaToo early for confidence
At the end of February, the highly anticipated National Dialogue Conference took place in Damascus. Did the meeting meet expectations? Karim El-Gawhary talked to women's rights activists on the ground before and after the event.
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Forensic expert in Syria"Opening the graves is not a priority"
In Syria, families of those who disappeared under Assad are desperate for answers. But before bodies can be identified, countless files, photos and videos must be gathered. "There is a bureaucracy of the dead," says forensic scientist Luis Fondebrider.
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Syrian architects' group Syrbanism"For a just reconstruction, the people must have a voice"
Since 2017, Syrbanism has been connecting architects and urbanists across the Syrian diaspora. In the wake of Assad's fall, founders Edwar Hanna and Nour Harastani travelled to Damascus to work on their vision of a democratic reconstruction.
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Turkey and post-Assad SyriaBound together by fate, history and migration
Turkey’s close ties to the new Syrian regime have reignited fierce debates at home. In Syria, Turkey sees a reflection of its own deep divisions—Islamist vs. secular, Alawite vs. Sunni, Turkish vs. Kurdish.
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German elections 2025Debates on the Middle East, migration and antisemitism
Germany heads to the polls on 23 February. Where do the main parties stand on migration, Israel and Gaza, antisemitism and the future of Syria?
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Kurdish activist Siamend Hajo"We need to make use of Syria's transitional phase"
As an advocate of a democratic, decentralised constitution, Siamend Hajo has been involved in the UN's Syria peace process for many years. Since Assad's fall, he has criticised the UN for kowtowing to the new rulers.
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The search for Syria's missingWhere is Ahmed?
Since the fall of Assad, thousands of Syrians searching for disappeared relatives have been left feeling abandoned by the new rulers. Meanwhile, the process of collecting evidence of the regime's crimes remains unsystematic.
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Democracy and secularism in Syria's revolutionUnited, not homogenous
In Syria, secularism is a fiercely contested topic. Assad supporters are using the term to discredit the revolution, while their opponents seek to redefine it. Yet this debate must not overshadow the revolution's central demand: democratic participation.
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Post-Assad Syria"Let freedom of the press be enshrined as sacrosanct"
The collapse of the Assad regime must not only mark the end of an era steeped in fear and oppression, but it must also serve as the dawn of a new chapter in the country’s history. Syrian independent media outlets publish their demands to the new government.
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Syrians in Germany"We have suffered at the hands of this regime, its fall unites us"
Stunned by the sudden collapse of the Assad regime, Syrians take their joy to the streets of Berlin. Some have already started planning their return home.