For nearly 14 years the Syrian people have suffered unimaginable horrors as the government, led by President Bashar al-Assad, perpetrated crimes against humanity and war crimes, brazenly violating countless international norms and treaties. For millions of Syrians the overthrow of the Assad government by opposition forces this week presents a historic opportunity to transition away from decades of repression, to potentially reunite with loved ones held captive in government-run detention centers and prisons, and to openly confront the truth of the crimes perpetrated in Syria.

The developments in Syria present a pivotal moment to reflect upon the atrocity crimes perpetrated under Assad’s leadership and reinvigorate calls for accountability and redress. Since March 2011 the crisis in Syria has claimed more than 580,000 lives and displaced nearly 13 million people. During the conflict the Syrian government besieged, deliberately starved and bombed civilians living in opposition-controlled areas. Entire areas of Syria’s major cities and towns were razed or reduced to rubble while government airstrikes, bolstered by Russian military support, deliberately targeted protected objects. Syrian government forces also utilized chemical weapons and indiscriminate weaponry, including illegal cluster munitions and barrel bombs, to terrorize civilians. Until its collapse this week, the government continued to systematically perpetrate arbitrary arrests, torture, enforced disappearances and deaths in detention, with more than 130,0000 people reported arbitrarily detained, abducted or missing during the conflict. Armed groups, including Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the so-called Islamic State, the Syrian National Army, and others, have also been implicated in atrocities, including torture, ill-treatment, systematic looting and arbitrary detention.

The people of Syria – particularly those who have been victims of war crimes and crimes against humanity under Assad’s rule – deserve justice, non-recurrence, peace and stability. The change that this transition brings should not only shift Syria away from the violent conflict that has engulfed the country since 2011, but also from the decades of repression and atrocities that characterized the leadership of the Assad family. This moment should mark the beginning of a historic political transition and lead to an inclusive dialogue regarding the path forward for the people of Syria from decades of trauma. The voices of all Syrians should be centered in any discussions regarding a political transition process.

Loved ones who have been left to wonder about the fate of their families, friends, colleagues and more may now have the opportunity to gain closure. In the short time since the fall of the capital city of Damascus and the release of thousands of prisoners from detention we have already witnessed countless scenes of families reunited with those once considered missing. In the coming days we encourage continued support for Syrian family associations. We also encourage UN member states to take this moment as an opportunity to enhance and expedite the functioning of the newly created Independent Institution on Missing Persons in Syria to clarify the fate of the disappeared.

The Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect also encourages HTS and others freeing political prisoners from Syrian detention centers to work closely with the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism for Syria and the Commission of Inquiry on Syria to ensure the documentation and preservation of evidence of the Assad government’s crimes so that one day we may achieve full accountability for the atrocities in Syria.

The Global Centre stands by our Syrian colleagues, including the White Helmets, the Syrian Network for Human Rights, members of the Truth and Justice Charter and countless others who have worked relentlessly toward this moment and toward a Syria free from state repression. We honor the victims and survivors of the atrocities of the past 14 years, and encourage the groups currently controlling parts of Syria to take immediate steps to ensure an end to all crimes and the prevention of their recurrence.