Post by SLDP

“The arrest of Brigadier General Abdul Ghaffar al-Hussein is a moment worth marking,” said Alreem Kamal Legal Officer at SLDP, noting that al-Hussein’s detention is the first of its kind involving economic crimes. “It signals that the transitional government is prepared to treat corruption as a serious crime in its own right, not a lesser one.” “When public funds meant for schools, hospitals, and housing are siphoned away, the loss is not merely financial; it directly impacts the human rights to education, health, and adequate housing, to name a few. The focus on al-Hussein’s place within corruption networks and his role in embezzling public money is therefore welcome.” At the same time, while al-Hussein’s arrest marks a new turn, “the difficulty is that this welcome step does not yet sit within a consistent approach.” “The inconsistency matters, because accountability is undermined if it reaches the available and spares the powerful.” “If the al-Hussein arrest is to be more than a single gesture, it should mark the beginning of a coherent approach in which economic crimes are pursued through independent judicial channels regardless of the standing of those implicated. This is vital for the credibility of Syria’s transitional justice and the trust of those it is meant to serve.” Read more about the article published by OCCRP and the wider discussion around accountability, corruption, and transitional justice in Syria, through the link below: https://lnkd.in/epx7NVFi #Syria #TransitionalJustice #Accountability #AntiCorruption #RuleOfLaw #HumanRights