Survivors of grave human rights violations committed by Syria’s Assad regime continue to live with urgent, unmet needs, and their right to reparation remains unfulfilled.
As France and Syria discuss proposals surrounding the use of Rifaat al Assad’s assets seized in Paris, the Global Survivors Fund is leading a call to the Syrian and French governments to allocate some of these funds for reparations for survivors of grave human rights violations committed by the former regime.
Find the full call to action below.
To:
Mr Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Syria
Mr Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, France
Cc: Mr Jean-François Guillaume, France’s Special Envoy for Syria
Dear Ministers,
We, the undersigned organisations, urge Syria and France to work together to prioritise reparations for victims and survivors of gross human rights violations in the allocation of proceeds from assets confiscated from Rifaat al-Assad. As the two governments prepare to exchange project proposals, we call for a dedicated allocation for reparations and meaningful survivor participation before decisions on the use of these funds are agreed.
Under the Assad regime, corruption and grave human rights violations were mutually reinforcing. Detention and disappearance enabled the confiscation of homes, businesses and savings, while families paid to obtain information about loved ones or secure their release. In its 2022 report, They Took Everything, the Association of Detainees and the Missing in Sednaya Prison (ADMSP) estimated that the regime had confiscated more than US$1.5 billion in detainees’ assets since 2011. This extraction generated revenue for the regime while leaving survivors and families without the resources to recover from abuse. Returning wealth accumulated within this system creates an opportunity to address that connection between illicit enrichment and enduring harm.
The planned return of proceeds from assets confiscated from Rifaat al-Assad marks the first implementation of the restitution mechanism established by France’s Law No. 2021-1031 of 4 August 2021. This framework provides for funds to benefit the populations concerned through cooperation and development activities, with transparency, accountability and civil-society participation. The forthcoming France–Syria return arrangements will therefore set an important precedent, attracting close attention within Syria and internationally.
We welcome France’s action to recover these assets and return their proceeds for the benefit of the Syrian people. However, the asset return process itself can be reparative: by acknowledging the wrongs suffered, giving survivors influence over decisions, and directing funds towards repairing the harms survivors suffered under Assad. Survivors of torture, sexual violence and other grave violations, and families of the disappeared, face daily physical pain, trauma, economic hardship and exclusion. Compensation, rehabilitation, education and livelihood measures can restore their health, security and participation in society. Designed with survivors and grounded in recognition of their rights, these measures would make reparations an integral part of Syria’s recovery and development, and would be a much-needed investment in human capital, social cohesion and peacebuilding. We therefore call on the French and Syrian authorities, to:
- Commit a significant allocation of the Assad assets to reparations: Finance measures responding to urgent harms, including rehabilitation and compensation for survivors, and recognition and redress for families of the disappeared, with a clear timetable for delivery.
- Give survivors an effective role in decisions: Involve diverse survivor groups and independent Syrian civil society in setting priorities, designing programmes and overseeing implementation, beginning before project selection.
- Ensure transparent and accountable use of the funds: Publish allocation criteria, governance arrangements and expenditure, provide independent oversight, and enable survivors to assess whether the measures deliver meaningful redress.
Reporting by The Sunday Times on 8 November 2026 highlights the continuing consequences of the Assad regime’s abuse and the potential use of perpetrators’ assets to finance reparations. This week’s World Bank 3rd Symposium on Supranational Response to Corruption: Turning Illicit Gains into Development Outcomes in Vienna places the development impact of recovered assets on the international agenda. As outlined in this Symposium paper, France and Syria should now establish a precedent for future returns. They should now show that recovered wealth must help repair the harm caused by the systems through which it was accumulated.
We request an urgent meeting with your representatives before allocations are finalised to discuss how these commitments can be reflected in the return arrangements.
Yours sincerely,
Association of Victims of Chemical Weapons
Association of Detainees and Missing Persons of Sednaya Prison (ADMSP)
Syrian Network for Human Rights
Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression
Syria Legal Development Programme
Syria Campaign
Synergy Association for Victims (Hev Desti)
Syrian Alliance Damma Association
Syria Direct
Truth Guardians
Nakhla Foundation
Media Association for Survivors and the Missing
Massar Families
Lawyers and Doctors for Human Rights
Dar Justice
Justice for Life
International Humanitarian Relief
Karam Shaar Advisory Ltd.
Global Survivors Fund
Strategic Litigation Project
African Center for Governance, Asset Recovery, and Sustainable Development
CiFAR – Civil Forum for Asset Recovery e.V.
Michael O’Connell AM APM, Consulting Victimologist
REDRESS
Universal Rights Group
Transparency International France
Transparency International Bangladesh