Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards

On 12 March 2025 the OHCHR published the feature:

From left:Human rights defenders Sofija Todorovic (Serbia) and Yasmin Al-Mashaan (Syria) © OHCHR/Gabriela Gorjón

“I’m the only girl of six siblings. And suddenly I lost five brothers between 2012 and 2014,” said Yasmine Al-Mashaan, a Syrian human rights defender and victim. “Before they were taken, they were around to love and protect me. I think it’s my duty to give them a little bit of their love and to fight for truth and justice for them and for everyone,” said Al-Mashaan, a former pharmaceutical assistant.

She spoke during an enhanced interactive dialogue on transitional justice at the 58^th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, where UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk presented a report on lessons learned and good practices related to transitional justice in the context of sustaining peace and sustainable development.

“In 2018, I co-founded, along with other families of forcibly disappeared persons, the Caesar Families Association, which brings together families who identified their loved ones among the victims in the photos smuggled out of Syria in 2013, known as the Caesar Photos,” Al-Mashaan said.

Her brother Oqba, one of her two disappeared brothers, was among the photos. 

Türk emphasized that transitional justice tackles the demons of the past to build a better future.

“It grapples with difficult questions about truth and memory. It looks for justice, in all its complex and myriad forms,” he said. “And it helps to repair the institutional and social fabric of fractured societies. Above all, transitional justice is about victims, dignity and healing.”

According to the Office’s report, in the aftermath of a conflict or large-scale and serious human rights violations and abuses, States have an obligation to provide truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-repetition. The report showcases some 36 victim-centred, inclusive, and gender-responsive transitional justice efforts led by victim associations and grass-roots organizations from dozens of countries, from Colombia to Syria, and Chad to Timor Leste.

However, Türk said, the path to peace is never easy.

“Transitional justice is often held up and slowed down by political instrumentalization, discriminatory or selective design and focus, insufficient buy-in of affected populations, and weak State institutions,” he said.

Women and youth as a driving force

Türk said that civil society, including grass-roots organizations often led by women and youth, play a crucial role in overcoming these challenges.

Sofija Todorovic, Programme Director of Youth Initiative for Human Rights in Serbia, who also participated in the dialogue, believes the role of youth organizations in transitional justice is indispensable.

“These organizations ensure that the voices and perspectives of young people are integrated into the policies and strategies shaping their future,” she said. “In many cases, their mission extends to educating youth about the history that has been deliberately concealed from them.”

Todorovic’s determination was fuelled by the realization that her country had hidden the truth from her.

“My State and the institutions within my State didn’t give me the right to truth and to make informed conclusion about the past, but rather they forced only one side of the story of the past,” she said. “And I think that that it’s unfair.”

She emphasized the need to address intergenerational trauma in transitional justice efforts.

“Only people who have space to heal can be able to build functional democracy,” she said. “We need a political climate that will resolve the trauma, not exploit it.”

Both Todorovic and Al-Mashaan’s organizations exemplify the power of women’s leadership, resilience, and strategic action in advancing transitional justice despite significant obstacles.

Justice and peace

Leyner Palacios Asprilla, a Colombian human rights defender and former Truth Commission member currently leading the Unit for Victims of the Chocó Region, participated in the dialogue via video message. The situation in his region remains so critical that he couldn’t leave the victims he works with alone.

For Palacios Asprilla, UN Human Rights in Colombia has been instrumental in navigating the challenges of consolidating peace, protecting victims, and defending human rights.

“Today, the world cannot forget our country because we have not yet crossed the finish line or overcome the obstacles to reach a point of tranquillity,” he said. “Colombia is an example to the world in its commitment to consolidating peace. But the world must not forget that this task is not yet complete.”

Türk said that in this fragmented world, transitional justice is an essential and creative problem-solving approach. It must be grasped, nurtured and used to build durable peace.

Many countries, including Nepal, Syria, and Bangladesh, have enormous opportunity to move towards justice and peace, he said.

Key takeaways

In preparing the report, UN Human Rights organized consultations with 70 women and 70 men from more than 77 countries, including representatives of national entities implementing transitional justice measures, victims’ associations and civil society organizations, regional and international human rights protection systems, and transitional justice experts and practitioners.

The report identifies seven key lessons in advancing transitional justice:

1. Documenting human rights violations is essential for accountability and future justice.
2. Marginalized victims must be included, ensuring their experiences are recognized.
3. Victims’ associations play a crucial role in advocacy and justice efforts.
4. Immediate legal, medical, and psychological support helps victims navigate trauma.
5. International human rights mechanisms provide accountability when national justice fails.
6. Universal jurisdiction and international courts offer alternatives when domestic options are blocked.
7. Grassroots memory and memorialization preserve historical truth and prevent future atrocities.

see also: Transitional justice and human rights Report by UN Human Rights

https://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2025/03/transitional-justice-confronting-past-building-future