The Free Bar Association in Aleppo and the NGO International Bridges to Justice held two panel discussions on ‘suspension of punishment’ and ‘violence against women’ in the town of Afrin in rural Aleppo.
The panel discussions brought together heads of the councils of the branches of the Free Bar Association, legal and revolutionary activities, and representatives of women’s activities and civil society organizations operating in the liberated areas.
The first workshop talked about the discretionary power of the court to suspend a sentence. Minister of Justice in the Syrian Interim Government pointed to the importance of this measure in the maintenance of social structure and self-reform at the present period and ensuring that the offense is not repeated.
The second workshop reviewed studies and figures on gender-based violence throughout the revolution, especially the violence being committed by the Assad regime and its backers as well as the psychological, social and legal effects of gender-based violence.
The minister stressed the need to activate the role of women and their participation in all sectors of Syrian society, pointing out that SIG’s plans focus on supporting and strengthening women’s activity in the liberated areas.
Participants agreed to establish mechanisms for legal protection under the international humanitarian law as they stressed the need to empower Syrian women and enable them to fully assume their role and expose the crimes committed against them. (Source: Syrian National Coalition’s Media Department)
