Syria Stakeholder Report for the United Nations Universal Periodic Review: The Death Penalty

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1. This report addresses the status of the death penalty in the Syrian Arab Republic and Syria’s compliance with related human rights obligations. The situation remains in flux: the transitional government that took power in late 2024 is still establishing its policies, and prospects for full compliance—including treaty ratification and prohibition of cruel, inhuman, and degrading punishments—remain uncertain.

2. The new government has adopted a Constitutional Declaration with transitional justice aims but it has not amended legislation providing for arbitrary application of the death penalty—including laws imposing death sentences for Muslim Brotherhood membership, recidivist drug trafficking, or bearing arms against Syria.

3. The criminal legal system does not guarantee fair trial rights. Appointees in the judiciary are inexperienced, and women attorneys face restrictions.

4. Civil society organizations remain active but constrained by registration requirements; systemic discrimination against minorities, women, and LGBTIQ+ individuals persists.

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