Justice for Life organization issued on 10 September 2018 a brief report on the seizure actions committed by Syrian government forces members in Deir Ezzor province. Now, two years following the re-control of Syrian government forces over vast areas of the province, the seizure is still on-going by military and security members along with allied or supporting militias.
The property of refugees and displaced people, who fled from Deir Ezzor due to the war that has been triggered since 2012, the deteriorating security conditions, and the prosecutions of security forces, are considerably at risk, particularly after a set of laws and decrees were issued by the Syrian authorities that increase such risk.
The Syrian authorities demand the returning and residence of the property owners as a condition to return the property, or to sign a power of proxy to some other resident, which is avoided by many refugees and IDPs as they fear that the proxy would be at risk.
Talking about a comprehensive political solution and a constitution for Syria is still incomplete as long as the dilemma of property seizure in Syria is not tackled, which is demanded by Justice for Life organization.
The article 17 (2) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property“.
The article 8 (2), (a), (iv) of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court states that “Extensive destruction and appropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly“
This report covers the areas controlled by the Syrian government forces in Deir Ezzor as JFL researchers interviewed a group of people whose property were seized.
To read full report Seizure of Property in Deir Ezzor
