Platform for victims of ISIS continues foundational meetings after coronavirus pause

NORTH AND EAST SYRIA — With the aim of establishing a platform for victims of the Islamic State (ISIS) in North and East Syria, the Rights Defense Initiative (RDI), sponsored by Swiss organization Fight for Humanity and German organization Medico International, continued its foundational meetings — delayed by the coronavirus pandemic — at Afrin Hall to develop its core document.

The goal of the platform is to enable victims of ISIS to play a leading role in shaping meaningful transitional justice and to hold members of ISIS accountable for the heinous crimes they committed.

Participants at the meeting proposed some items to add to the basic document of the platform such as expanding the participation in the platform to international organizations given the global nature of the threat of ISIS and including the establishment of an international tribunal as a foundational goal.

During the meeting, head of the Rights Defense Initiative Akid Ibrahim announced plans to also establish a platform for victims of the Turkish occupation and its extremist proxy forces in the Syrian National Army (SNA).

Mohammed al-Jie, head of Fight for Humanity, said there will be a strong relationship between the platform and the Judiciary of the Democratic Autonomous Administration (DAA) of North and East Syria, stressing that the responsibility to support the platform falls on the DAA.