How New Approaches to Documentation Alter the Formal Justice Architecture: A Case Study of Enforced Disappearance in Syria

Enforced disappearance (ED) was one of the most pervasive crimes under the Assad regime, affecting millions of Syrians. Following the fall of the regime in December 2024, over 30.000 detainees were freed from regime prisons and detention centers. However, over 100.000 people remain unaccounted for. Family members of the missing, victim/survivors and justice actors have incessantly mobilized to reveal the fate and the whereabouts of the disappeared and strongly invested in documentation efforts. Informal actors play a central role in the pursuit of justice in Syria. Since the outbreak of the revolution in 2011, these actors haveexperimented with transitional justice initiatives to break the justice impasse. This research project investigates how informal documentation efforts, including artistic practices, can advance the pursuit of justice related to ED in the Syrian context.