In the spring of 2011, thousands of Syrians rose up to protest the dictatorship of President Bashar al-Assad. In response, the Assad regime launched a brutal crackdown thus igniting an unprecedented six-year civil war and one of the worst humanitarian crises in the modern age with no end in sight. As evidence of war crimes and mass atrocities perpetrated by the Assad regime mounts, rallying cries for justice grow. This panel will examine current efforts to hold the Assad regime accountable, and discuss prospects of future accountability and redress for victims of the conflict. The event is co-sponsored by the Vance Center for International Justice, the Center for Justice and Accountability, the American Society of International Law's Rule of Law and Transitional Justice Interest Group, and the Coalition for the International Criminal Court.
