Syrian families demand answers as former Assad allies return to public life

Hussein al-Tawil has spent nearly 15 years waiting for news of his brother, Ali Ahmad al-Tawil, who vanished in Damascus in late 2011. The 29-year-old civilian from Jabal al-Zawiya in the Idlib countryside was taken by militias loyal to former President Bashar al-Assad. Since then, the family has received no death certificate or official record explaining his fate.

The collapse of Assad's government did not resolve the case. Al-Tawil said the family hoped detainees would be released or records would emerge, but they found no trace of Ali. He noted that former supporters of the regime are reappearing in public life, sometimes seeking proximity to Syria's new authorities. This shift has raised questions about how the country will pursue reconciliation while families remain in the dark.

Al-Tawil told The Media Line that he had hoped for transitional justice to hold criminals accountable and remove Assad supporters from public spheres such as media, arts, politics, and sports. He argued that the renewed prominence of these figures deepens the anguish of victims' families. He fears that networks of influence established under the old regime are surviving by shifting their allegiance to the new leadership to preserve economic interests.

Jubair al-Sukkari, a Syrian political activist and former opposition figure, criticized the appointment of individuals with Baathist backgrounds to roles in transitional justice institutions. He cited the appointment of Futah Saqr to the National Commission for Transitional Justice, noting her family ties to the former government. Al-Sukkari argued that those documenting the uprising must earn the confidence of survivors. He also questioned the return of Fadi Saqr, a former figure in pro-Assad National Defense Forces, without adequate scrutiny of his past.

Al-Sukkari stated that the fall of the regime was only the first objective of the revolution. He emphasized that there is a difference between a supporter and a criminal, but he warned that the marginalization of some defected officers shows that not all who opposed the former government have been integrated into the new state.

Financial settlements have become a major point of controversy. President Ahmad al-Sharaa defended the deal with businessman Mohammed Hamsho during a September meeting in New York. Al-Sharaa said authorities confiscated about 80% of Hamsho's assets, allowing him to keep the portion not deemed unlawful. He argued that preserving Hamsho's companies was necessary to protect jobs for approximately 40,000 people and stabilize the economy.

Bishr al-Hawi, a member of Syria's People's Assembly, distinguished between the political return of former officials and the economic activity of businessmen. He acknowledged that traders associated with the former government have resumed activity but are less prominent than before. Al-Hawi admitted that the transitional justice process has lacked momentum. He revealed that the assembly has not yet received a draft law from the National Commission for Transitional Justice, which is expected to submit a legislative proposal for parliamentary review.

Al-Moutassim al-Kilani, an international criminal law researcher, warned that financial settlements could create de facto impunity if money or connections obstruct investigations. He stated that recovering money does not compensate for torture, killing, or enforced disappearance. He argued that preventing a recurrence of abuses requires an independent judiciary and accountable security institutions, noting that changing loyalties does not dismantle corruption networks.