Monday, November 2, 2026, marks the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists—a significant United Nations observance established by the UN General Assembly in its resolution 68/163, adopted in 2013.
This day calls upon the international community and partner organizations, such as UNESCO, to uphold the values of justice and freedom of expression, and to ensure the protection of media personnel. It underscores that the prosecution and accountability of those who commit such violations are essential guarantees for building democratic, civil societies—societies that safeguard the right to access the truth, free from intimidation or exclusion.
The Syrian Future Movement (Tayyar al-Mustaqbal al-Suri) views this occasion as holding profound national and humanitarian significance within the Syrian context. Throughout the years of conflict, Syrian journalists and media activists have paid a heavy price, sacrificing their lives and their freedom. The movement asserts that the absence of accountability—and the prevalence of a “law of the jungle”—has transformed Syria into one of the most dangerous environments in the world for journalistic work. This is a direct consequence of the systematic, repressive practices employed by authoritarian forces and de facto authorities to silence voices and suppress the truth.
The Syrian Future Movement believes that drafting a new social and political contract—one that aligns Syria with a civilized, progressive framework—necessarily requires the establishment of rigorous mechanisms to protect press freedoms as a core component of the transitional phase. It asserts that comprehensive and sustainable transitional justice cannot be achieved without uncovering the fate of journalists who have been subjected to enforced disappearance, and holding those responsible for the killing of media personnel accountable. This is essential for establishing an independent legal and judicial environment that prevents the use of licensing and censorship powers as tools to punish or silence critical voices.
In its assessment of the situation, the Syrian Future Movement draws upon the alarming figures and data presented in recent annual reports from the Syrian Network for Human Rights and Reporters Without Borders (covering 2025 and 2026). These reports document the killing of hundreds of journalists and media workers in Syria since 2011, while the rate of impunity for the perpetrators remains at nearly 100%. Such harrowing statistics demand urgent legal and human rights-based action from both national forces and the international community to break this vicious cycle of violations.
The Syrian Future Movement affirms its full and unconditional solidarity with all Syrian media professionals and journalists who continue to carry out their noble mission despite existential risks. The Movement emphasizes the need to coordinate the efforts of civil society actors to establish professional and rights-based frameworks that provide legal protection and livelihood support for journalists. It further notes that protecting those who convey the truth—while adhering to international professional standards—is a fundamental step toward transitioning the country toward a state governed by the rule of law and citizenship, and toward preparing a generation of media professionals capable of leading the path of awareness-raising and development in the Syria of the future.
