Understanding Prison
One year after Assad’s fall, Syria faces a continuous struggle to even begin to come to terms with its past. The interim government, burdened by political and economic challenges, Islamist influence, and societal fragmentation, shows limited political will for genuine transitional justice. Violence continues, perpetrators remain mostly unpunished, and the fate of the disappeared is unresolved.
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VISUAL MENA Prison Forum in Berlin #6
The sixth edition of the series “Understanding Prison” marks the first anniversary of Assad’s fall with an artistic performance by Amer Matar, co-founder of the “Prisons Museum”, who will read from his personal security service interrogation file. After the performance, Syrians engaged in the transitional process will discuss questions of justice and impunity, addressing the challenges of the past year.
The speakers are writer and former political prisoner Yassin al-Haj Saleh and Oula Alshaikh Hassan, working for the Syrian NGO “Women Now”, and Anwar al-Bunni, lawyer and Director of the Syrian Center for Legal Studies and Research.
The discussion will be moderated by “Die Zeit” journalist Lea Frehse, who reports on Syria, the Middle East and on international security.
Additional information
Dates
December 2025
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