8 May 2019 – Seven women survivors of arbitrary detention met with representatives of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR); the Canadian government; and the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM), the UN mechanism established to assist in in the investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the most serious crimes under International Law committed in Syria since the revolution. The meeting was organized by The Day After and took place in Istanbul on March 22, 2019.
On the first day, participants were introduced to the role of the OHCHR and IIIM in documenting violations, gender-based violence, and violations against adolescents under the age of 18.
On the second and third days, archaeologist Hasan Ali introduced participants to the concept and importance of oral history and how it can be harnessed to serve detainees’ cause and the cause of the Syrian revolution.
The meeting took place as part of the TDA project Women Former Detainees, which aims to form an association that can empower women survivors of arbitrary detention, make them capable of advocating their cause in media, human rights institutions, and international forums, and involve them in the course of transitional justice processes and sustainable peace in Syria.
