Syrian Prisons between Reform and Reintegration

An Approach to Restructuring the Syrian Detention Sector in the Transitional Phase

Sokrat Al Alou

Since the 1970s, prisons in Syria have constituted a central tool within the authoritarian ruling system established by the Ba’ath Party under the leadership of Hafez al-Assad and later Bashar al-Assad. Prisons shifted from punitive institutions to instruments of political and social subjugation, as security agencies used detention centers as extensions of the state’s repressive authority, far removed from any judicial or institutional oversight. Patterns of grave human rights violations have been documented in these prisons, including enforced disappearance, systematic torture, unfair trials, and even secret executions. Sednaya Military Prison, described by Amnesty International as one of the most prominent symbols of this repression, was referred to in a 2017 report as a “human slaughterhouse.” The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria has repeatedly confirmed in its reports that detention in Syria was not an isolated violation but rather an institutionalized practice amounting to crimes against humanity.

The fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on December 8, 2024, did not cause an immediate significant change in the prison situation. Detention centers in areas controlled by the transitional government still lack a unified policy for sector reform, and some security institutions were reinstated without dismantling their previous repressive structures. In contrast, the Autonomous Administration of Northeastern Syria runs its own independent prison system based on the “Social Contract”, which governs its legal matters separately from Syrian law. Investigations reveal the existence of 49 prisons and detention centers—most of which are secret and undeclared—in areas under the Autonomous Administration’s control. These include civilian detention centers, security prisons operated by the Asayish forces, military prisons linked to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and others managed by the international coalition, which detains thousands of individuals affiliated with the Islamic State (ISIS). Prisons under the Autonomous Administration also witness violations of detainees’ rights, as human rights reports highlight cases of arbitrary arrest, enforced disappearance, and torture. Prisons holding ISIS detainees face escalating structural and security challenges, particularly given the lack of formal international recognition of the Autonomous Administration and the reluctance of concerned states to repatriate their nationals, whether former fighters or the women and children associated with them.

On the other side of the Syrian map, particularly in the northwest, two separate prison systems have been operating in recent years: one run by Syrian opposition groups known as the Syrian National Army, and the other linked to Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham. Each system has its own laws and independent judicial structures. Although both have judicial and civil institutions, independent human rights reports have documented instances of arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture, and a lack of oversight in these areas of control. After the fall of the Assad regime, the dissolution of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, and the integration of National Army factions into the newly formed Syrian Army, no official announcement has been made regarding the transfer of prisons to the Syrian transitional government.

Given this fragmented and layered context, there is an urgent need for a thorough and systematic reform of Syria’s prison system—one that considers the existing institutional diversity, legal differences, political and societal divisions, and the heavy legacy of decades of oppressive rule. No transitional justice process can be truly complete without fundamentally addressing this sector by confronting past abuses, aligning policies, and establishing fair and humane detention systems that protect dignity and rights and prevent future violations.

Accordingly, this paper aims to analyze the current state of the two prison systems operating in Syria after the fall of the regime by examining their legal, administrative, and humanitarian structures. It also explores pathways for reforming the prison sector as a key component of transitional justice. Additionally, it investigates the prospects of integrating the various systems into a unified national framework overseen by an independent civilian judiciary.

The paper starts from the idea that prison reform is not just an administrative task, but a crucial step in redefining the relationship between the state and society, and in turning former punishing institutions into places of justice and social reintegration.

Read more: Syrian Prisons Between Reform and Reintegration – Final