The Syrian Future Movement is following with great interest the announcement made by the Governor of Aleppo, Mr. Azzam al-Gharib, on May 23, 2026, regarding the continuation of restoration and rehabilitation work at Aleppo Central Prison. In an official post on his Facebook page, he emphasized that “prisons should be spaces for reform and rehabilitation, not places for intensifying punishment,” following a field visit that included the General Directorate of Prisons, the Internal Security Forces, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, and the Construction Department.
Based on the Syrian Future Movement’s methodology of “supporting national solutions without absolute support for any party, and criticizing what threatens the state-building process without hostility,” this statement is issued to assess this important step within the context of reforming the criminal justice system, and to affirm that this new vision should be the beginning of a comprehensive process.
First: The Syrian Future Movement commends this step and considers it an embodiment of the principle of “reform, not intensification,” which it has long advocated as a fundamental pillar of prison reform. The Syrian Future Movement also appreciates this approach, which puts an end to decades of brutal practices that transformed Syrian prisons under the ousted regime into strongholds of torture and humiliation. Aleppo Central Prison was one of the most notorious symbols of this oppressive system, where horrific accounts were documented in a United Nations report of August 12, 2014, detailing the “indescribable suffering” endured by detainees before and during a year-long siege.
We believe that transforming this place from a symbol of torture into a platform for rehabilitation represents a shift in discourse and a clear break with the legacy of the regime’s brutality.
Secondly, the Syrian Future Movement highlights the dimensions and importance of this project in rebuilding trust. According to official statements, it is based on advanced principles, including:
- A reformist vision: Transforming prisons into “a genuine reformative environment that facilitates reintegration into society” by providing social welfare and public health services.
- Improved Standards: Working to ensure a more orderly, humane, and healthy environment, replacing the culture of punishment and neglect.
- Gradual Capacity Building: The prison was designed to accommodate approximately 3,500 inmates. The first section, after its renovation, will be opened soon to accommodate 1,200 inmates, as a first step towards reopening the facility according to new standards.
Third: The Syrian Future Movement reiterates its firm positions on the necessity of reforming penal institutions, which have been published on its official website, including:
- The statement “Rehabilitating Prisons as a National Priority” (dated May 12, 2026), which emphasized that rebuilding Syria necessarily includes rebuilding the entire criminal justice system, starting with detention centers.
- The statement “Electronic Notification and Digital Transformation in the Syrian Judiciary” (dated May 8, 2026), which affirmed that modernizing the judiciary is part of the human rights system, which includes the right to a fair trial and humane detention conditions.
Fourth: While the Syrian Future Movement appreciates these statements and measures, it reiterates that a “reform environment” begins with transparency and ends with oversight. It has been observed that many essential details remain unclear. To ensure this noble vision is translated into tangible reality, the Syrian Future Movement recommends the following:
- Announcing the criteria for rehabilitation programs: Specifying the types of programs to be offered to inmates (educational, vocational, psychological), their duration, and evaluation mechanisms, to ensure they are not simply imprisonment in better conditions.
- Establishing an independent mechanism for receiving inmate complaints: Ensuring the existence of safe, confidential, and transparent channels (an independent human rights committee, a complaints box) that allow inmates to report any violations or shortcomings in services, with guarantees against retaliation.
- Allowing regular visits by local and international human rights organizations: Opening access for reputable human rights organizations to visit the rehabilitated sections, assess the services provided, and offer their recommendations, similar to the agreements recently concluded between the Syrian government and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
- Linking rehabilitation within prisons to real job opportunities after release: Coordination with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor and the private sector to provide job opportunities for released inmates after completing rehabilitation programs, to ensure their effective reintegration into society and prevent them from returning to a life of crime.
In conclusion: The Syrian Future Movement announces its full support for any genuine effort to reform the criminal justice system and transform prisons from places of oppression into centers of reform. It recalls that Aleppo Central Prison holds profound symbolic significance, as it was a battlefield and a deep wound in the memory of Syrians. The government is called upon today to transform this wound into a platform for reconstruction by embodying the principle of “reform, not oppression” in its policies and programs. This project should be the cornerstone of a comprehensive national approach to dealing with the prison system, restoring trust between citizens and state institutions, and laying the foundation for a new Syria based on dignity, justice, and rehabilitation.
