End of al-Assad's 54-Year Rule: Syrian Feminist Views on the Transitional Phase Published: 10 June 2025 Analysis On December 8, 2024, Syria entered a new political era after 54 years of the al-Assad family rule. While the end of the al-Assad era sparked broad optimism, early formal statements from the new rulers raised concerns, particularly regarding women’s rights. Rula Asad
War in Syria: The horror of Idlib Published: 26 February 2020 Comment The recent escalation of violence in Idlib is also a result of the increasing tensions between Turkey and Russia. The victims are those in Idlib, caught up in a hopeless situation amid a huge spectrum of differing interests. Bente Scheller
At the core of the war in Syria Published: 5 October 2017 No matter how complex and religiously driven the conflict in Syria may seem, its basic constellation is this: A regime with powerful allies wages a war of annihilation against wide parts of its own population. How could it get to this point? And what is the very least we can do? Bente Scheller
Syria’s Disappeared Published: 2 August 2017 Over the past years, tens of thousands of men, women and children in Syria havee become subject to forced disappearances in Syria. On July 12, the film "Syria's Disappeared" was screened in which survivors of Syrian prisons and relatives of some tortured to death speak out. Bente Scheller
Nominated: Syrian Candidates for the Golden Raspberry Awards Published: 13 September 2016 How many supporters does Assad actually still have? Obviously not even enough to cast different extras for two short television clips. Bente Scheller
Syria: Systematic Torture and Sexualized Violence Published: 3 August 2016 Speech Torture and sexualized violence are part of everyday life in Syrian prisons. However, human rights violations committed by the Assad regime play no role at the Geneva peace talks. With this in mind, Barbara Unmüßig, calls for women to be included as peace negotiators. Barbara Unmüßig
Talking with Assad: an End in Itself? A Response to Phil Gordon Published: 5 October 2015 Prominent voices, such as former White House Coordinator for the Middle East Phil Gordon, have advocated for striving for a negotiated interim solution in Syria that defers the question of Assad’s fate. Bente Scheller, director of our office in Lebanon, addresses some of the underlying myths and arguments shaping the current debate. Bente Scheller
Syria: When minorities become pawns in a power game Published: 2 July 2015 The Assad clan is exploiting the multi-religious composition of Syria and holding its minorities in a fatal grip of dependency. Bente Scheller, Dr. Haid Haid
