Damascus: Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued a decree Thursday evening to form a committee for transitional justice, official media said.

According to Anadolu Agency, the National Transitional Justice Committee consists of 13 members, with Abdel Basit Abdel Latif appointed as chair and Zahra Najib Al-Barazi as deputy chair, as reported by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA). The decree mandates that committee members begin their duties immediately upon notification, and responsibilities will be assigned in accordance with the committee's internal regulations, SANA noted.

The committee's primary focus will be addressing past regime violations and fostering national reconciliation in response to growing local and international calls for accountability. These calls have intensified due to violations committed by the ousted regime of former Bashar al-Assad during its crackdown on nationwide protests that began in 2011, demanding a peaceful transfer of power.

Reports by the UN and international rights groups have documented abuses by the Assad regime, including dozens of chemical weapons attacks, widespread aerial bombardment with barrel bombs on populated areas, arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and systematic torture in detention centers, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians.

The outcomes of the Syrian National Dialogue Conference, held in February, further emphasized the importance of transitional justice and the necessity of holding accountable those responsible for crimes and abuses committed under the Assad regime. Assad, who led Syria for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia in December, ending the Ba'ath Party regime that had been in power since 1963. A new transitional administration under Sharaa was established in January.