On January 15, 2026, the Anti-Illicit Enrichment Committee issued a statement and clarification entitled “The Illicit Enrichment Committee: Settlements Do Not Extinguish Public Rights or Affect the Rights of Victims,” which distinguishes between mechanisms for recovering illicitly acquired public assets and the paths of criminal accountability within the framework of transitional justice.
The Syrian Future Movement reiterates its previous positions, particularly the article published on our official website on January 15, 2026, entitled “Mohammad Hamsho: A Symbol of Economic Transformations in Post-Assad Syria,” which summarizes our stance on Mohammad Hamsho as a symbol of economic transformations in post-Assad Syria. The Syrian Future Movement acknowledges the pragmatic need for financial settlements as a mechanism for recovering looted wealth, but rejects them as a substitute for criminal accountability. It warns against the dangers of recycling corrupt elites and undermining confidence in economic reforms, while calling for enhanced judicial and international oversight to ensure that recovered resources are allocated to compensating victims and reconstruction.
The Syrian Future Movement affirms that the committee’s statement constitutes an initial step towards dispelling conceptual ambiguities within the context of a transitional economy facing structural challenges. It defines the committee’s mandate as recovering financial assets without interfering with criminal justice mechanisms, thus reinforcing the principle of separating economic reconciliation measures from legal accountability.
In this context, the Syrian Future Movement appreciates the national concern expressed in the protests held in front of the committee’s headquarters, rejecting the settlement with Mohammad Hamsho. It considers this social dynamic a reflection of the necessity to integrate public opinion in formulating economic policies that guarantee transparency and dismantle the former monopolistic networks. We also reiterate the points highlighted in the aforementioned article regarding the dangers of Hamsho becoming a model for “self-serving reconciliation” without transformative guarantees.
The Syrian Future Movement emphasizes that economic settlements, as defined by the committee, must be part of a comprehensive economic strategy focused on social justice and sustainable development. Mohammad Hamsho represents a model of the intertwining of political and economic power in the former regime, with his involvement in money laundering, drug trafficking, and exploiting the devastation of war to achieve monopolistic gains.
Despite the importance of recovering sums as high as $1 billion, as in the case of Hamsho, the Syrian Future Movement warns of the risks of creating transitional economic elites tied to the past. This could hinder the restructuring of the national economy and lead to an imbalance in resource distribution, especially given the World Bank’s estimate of war damage at $216 billion, which necessitates international aid such as the potential €2.5 billion from Europe.
The Syrian Future Movement calls for learning from the experiences of similarly successful countries, such as Chile, where recovering assets from former dictator Augusto Pinochet funded large-scale reparations programs. These programs, coupled with truth commissions and criminal trials, fostered confidence in the transitional economy and reduced social inequalities. Similarly, South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission contributed to economic reintegration, with collective reparations leading to sustainable growth and reduced ethnic tensions.
In contrast, the Syrian Future Movement warns against repeating failed experiences such as those in Mozambique, where the rejection of any transitional justice mechanisms led to enforced silence and a lack of reparations, perpetuating corruption and hindering economic restructuring; or Sierra Leone, where transitional efforts failed to prevent subsequent political tensions due to a lack of comprehensive reparations, resulting in ongoing social divisions and development delays.
The Syrian Future Movement calls for strengthening the independence of the commission and the judiciary through specific international and public oversight mechanisms, such as establishing an independent oversight committee that includes representatives from civil society, international organizations like the United Nations and the World Bank, and independent economic experts to monitor the implementation of settlements and the allocation of recovered funds. We, in the Syrian Future Movement, affirm our readiness to contribute positively to this committee, transforming settlements from mere voluntary disclosure into a component of a sophisticated economic model aimed at compensating victims, rebuilding infrastructure, and supporting social investments.
The Syrian Future Movement calls for the drafting of transformative laws that prevent corrupt figures from escaping accountability. In this context, we believe the committee’s statement opens avenues for dialogue on integrating settlements with the principles of economic transitional justice, while emphasizing that written declarations from applicants must be supported by independent investigations to prevent the structural failure of reforms.
The Syrian Future Movement concludes its statement by calling on Syrian and international parties to develop transformative economic policies that ensure settlements are a step towards an economy based on transparency and equality, not a return to monopolistic models. We also affirm that Hamsho can be part of the solution if he is subjected to a comprehensive economic and judicial accountability process.
The Syrian Future Movement is committed to promoting an economic vision built on the principles of sustainability, justice, and civil peace, so that the Syrian economy becomes a model for comprehensive development in the region.
