Following requests from Avocats Sans Frontières Moyen-Orient and the Syrian Bar Association president, whom he met in France, François Cantier, founding president of Lawyers Without Borders France, traveled to Syria alongside Anne Lutun, the organization’s executive director. The purpose of this mission was to gain a better understanding of the needs expressed by lawyers and local justice actors, in a context where rebuilding the judicial system represents a major challenge.

During the mission, François Cantier and Anne Lutun met with various national and international justice actors, as well as victims and witnesses of crimes committed under the regime of Bashar al-Assad.

These discussions provided an opportunity to address the challenges Syria faces in the areas of justice and the defense of fundamental rights. Given the scale of the documented crimes and the expectations of the population, rebuilding the judicial system is an essential undertaking.