Dr. Haid Haid, a Syrian researcher, conducted a study on how Housing, Land, and Property (HLP) rights violations are being addressed during the first six months of Syria’s post-regime transition. The report examines how the Assad Regime weaponized legal frameworks to enable systematic dispossession. It also reviews the initial steps taken by transitional authorities and institutions to address past violations and injustices, while documenting the range of formal and informal efforts currently underway to reclaim property.
Between January and June 2025, Dr. Haid Haid conducted 40 in-person and remote interviews with legal practitioners, civil society workers, notables, affected residents, analysts, and human rights advocates, which informed this study. The report identifies the key obstacles to effective HLP restitution and offers a set of actionable recommendations for policymakers, legal experts, international organizations, and affected communities.
This report is the latest in a series published by PAX and its partners in recent years to shed light on HLP rights violations committed by the Assad regime and other conflict parties. Such violations represent a significant barrier to sustainable peace and justice in Syria, an obstacle to refugee returns, and a likely root cause for future cycles of conflict. In the Syrian context, HLP violations have frequently intersected with or been worsened by other human rights abuses and long-standing structural discrimination. Women, survivors of detention and enforced disappearance and various community groups have been disproportionally affected. PAX has adopted a victim-centered transitional justice approach, supporting victims and affected communities to document violations, analyze their impacts and influence decision-makers.
Further reading
- Our Housing, Land, and Property rights-programme page.
