Mariana Karkoutly interviewed by BBC

Senior Fellow Mariana Karkoutly (Berlin 2018) recently spoke with BBC News about the current political and humanitarian crises in Syria, emphasizing the importance of accountability for past atrocities and exploring steps toward rebuilding a safer and stronger Syria. Mariana shares that “[Assad] should be held accountable… and every perpetrator that committed crimes in Syria should be held accountable for us to be able to think about a peaceful life for Syria in the future.”  

Mariana also highlighted the importance of time to contemplate what has been happening as they contemplate returning home: “I think we need to take a moment to grieve what has been lost and to cheer for the fact that we’re done with a regime that has been killing and terrifying its people for more than 50 years.”

Addressing the monumental task of rebuilding civic society for those considering a return to Syria, she underscored that everything is needed—from job opportunities to meeting basic needs, which are only now beginning to resurface. For instance, Mariana shared that family and friends in Syria have recently regained access to electricity, a small but significant step. More broadly, she stressed the importance of creating conditions that foster safety and trust: “After 13 years in diasporas..they need time to start trusting this place again.”

View Marianna’s BBC interview above and here. Interview courtesy of the BBC.

Mariana is a legal investigator, researcher, and activist committed to advancing human rights and justice. She co-founded Huquqyat, an organization that seeks to make justice processes more inclusive by specifically addressing how women are subjected to and affected by international crimes. Mariana also co-founded Visions 4 Syria, a youth-led initiative, and leads Gemeinsamer Horizont e.V. Additionally, she serves on the boards of Huquqyat and the Guardians of Equality Movement (GEM).

Her work focuses on documenting war crimes and crimes against humanity, including her PhD research on universal jurisdiction in Germany. She is a research fellow at the Research Lab: Constitutional Politics in Turkey and actively participates in advocacy campaigns like #SyriaNotSafe, which promotes justice and accountability for Syrians.

Learn more about Mariana and her work here.