In a monumental event that has wide-reaching implications for the entire Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and the whole world, on December 8, 2024, Bashar al-Assad’s brutal regime was toppled from power in Syria. Over a ten-day period, a coalition of armed opposition groups, prominent among them Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), overtook key cities beginning with Aleppo all the way through Damascus in a stunning offensive. As cities were freed from regime control, so too were prisons; images of freed detainees, some of whom had been kept in custody for decades in harrowing conditions, captured the attention of the world.
In the time since, Ahmed al-Sharaa aka Abu Mohamed al-Jolani, the head of HTS and now de facto leader of Syria, has appointed a prime minister, and a caretaker government is being formed. Foreign dignitaries, including from the United States and Europe, have traveled to meet with its representatives. Discussions and debates are underway on how the transition should be managed and by whom, how and when a constitution is to be drafted, when and who will be invited to the national dialogue and what are its expected outcomes, as well as how transitional justice should be pursued. Meanwhile, Syria remains under wide-ranging sectoral sanctions, and HTS continues to be listed as a terrorist organization by the UN and a number of key foreign countries. Syrians who had long been in exile and displaced due to political expression or as a result of the war are returning to witness the country’s historic moment, and loved ones of the tens of thousands of detained and disappeared, whose fates have not yet been discovered, continue to search for answers.
On Tuesday January 28, 2025, from 10 to 11:30 am EST, join the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP) for “What Comes Next? Unpacking the Post-Assad Transition in Syria.” This virtual event will feature Suhail al-Ghazi, Karam Shaar, Muzna Dureid, and Wafa Mustafa and be moderated by Obai Kurd Ali. Tune in to hear our speakers address the following questions: What should we make of Syria’s new caretaker government and the actions it has taken thus far? How do we expect the international community and key individual states to engage with Syria’s new government, amid sanctions and the status of HTS? How do we expect states to engage with Syrian asylum seekers and refugees amid application freezes and plans for deportation? What are the priorities of Syrian civil and political leaders, civil society, and victim and family-led organizations in this transitional period and what are their visions for the future?
Watch the discussion:
Speaker Profiles:
Wafa Ali Mustafa
Wafa Mustafa is a senior advocacy and communications lead at the Syria Campaign. She is a former Nonresident Fellow at TIMEP focusing on victim-centric justice in Syria. She is an activist, a journalist, and an advocate for Syria’s disappeared. Following her father’s forced disappearance by the Assad regime, Wafa fled Syria to Turkey in 2013 before completing her studies at Bard College Berlin in Germany. Wafa’s advocacy focuses on the impact of detention and enforced disappearance on families, the rights of refugees, and the urgency of international justice and accountability for the crimes of the Assad regime. Recently, she co-founded the Free Syria’s Disappeared coalition, which fights for freedom and safety for all of Syria’s disappeared through awareness-raising efforts and campaigns. Wafa is also a member of civil society communities in Syria and across the region. You can follow her on Twitter: @wafamustafa9.
Suhail al-Ghazi
Suhail al-Ghazi is a researcher and analyst, with extensive experience in conducting research on Syria on a variety of issues, from military developments to socioeconomic issues relating to the Syrian conflict. He previously served as Syria Researcher for Center for Middle Eastern Studies (ORSAM), as Nonresident Fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP) and a lead researcher for additional Syria-focused research projects. His research has been used by international stakeholders to shape and develop their policies on Syria. He has published his work and analysis in several think-tanks, including the Atlantic Council, TIMEP, al-Sharq Strategic Research, Omran Center for Strategic Studies, Middle East Institute. His expert commentaries appeared among others in the Italian Institute for International Political Studies, The Guardian, The Telegraph, and other news outlets.
Karam Shaar
Karam Shaar is an economist with a BA from the University of Aleppo, an MSc from the University of Putra Malaysia, and a PhD from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. He is the Director of Karam Shaar Advisory Limited, which he founded with the goal of bringing cutting-edge academic and policy research to the Syrian context. Karam serves as a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the New Lines Institute, an establishing partner at the Observatory of Political and Economic Networks, and a Senior Consultant at the World Bank. Previously, Karam was a nonresident scholar at the Middle East Institute, a senior analyst at the New Zealand Treasury, and a senior lecturer on Middle East politics.
Muzna Dureid
Muzna Dureid is a Syrian-Canadian feminist leader and former refugee with over a decade of experience creating lasting change in conflict zones. Currently serving as Advocacy and Partnership Manager at the Nobel Women’s Initiative, Muzna previously worked as Senior Development Officer for the White Helmets, recipients of the alternative Nobel Peace Prize. During her tenure, she contributed to saving over 125,000 lives and demonstrated her expertise in navigating humanitarian crises, including pandemics and natural disasters such as earthquakes. Her work also extends to advancing women’s political participation, reflected in her role as co-founder of the Syrian Women’s Political Movement, an initiative advocating for a more inclusive and equitable Syria. Since 2021, Muzna has also served as a gender advisor for the G7.
Obai Kurd Ali
ModeratorObai Kurd Ali is the Legal Unit Manager at TIMEP and specializes in international human rights law, with 10 years of experience in the Syrian conflict. He can apply the law to complex and sensitive contexts involving victims and communities, duty-bearers, and other stakeholders to achieve effective accountability and sustainable justice. Obai is skilled in leadership and team management, agreement facilitation, dealing with stakeholders from different backgrounds, and organizing joint efforts to achieve goals and shared interests. Obai holds an LL.M. with distinction in Human Rights, Conflict, and Justice from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London (2021). In addition, he holds an LL.B in Syrian national Law from Damascus University (2014). Obai has also been awarded the Chevening Scholarship for youth leaders from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.