In the aftermath of the collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024 and the subsequent opening of prisons and release of thousands of detainees, a pivotal moment emerged whose consequences continue to unfold. The physical and psychological impacts of detention remain deeply present in the lives and memories of survivors, while the fate of many of the disappeared remains unknown. At the same time, the pathways toward justice and accountability are becoming increasingly complex.

Over the past year, the MENA Prison Forum has worked with its partners to develop initiatives aimed at preventing the return of prisons as tools of repression, through supporting and strengthening transitional justice processes, coordinating efforts among different actors, and developing effective and secure mechanisms for information-sharing in ways that support collective memory and reinforce accountability.

Following last year’s call launched by the MENA Prison Forum (MPF), which resulted in a series of contributions engaging with the opening of prisons in Syria and the profound transformations that accompanied that moment, we continue this year to expand the conversation and build on this work.

Today, the need to revisit and deepen these reflections has become increasingly urgent. New questions continue to emerge from ongoing experiences.

In this context, we invite researchers, activists, and interested contributors to submit short articles—critical or creative— of visions toward achieving transitional justice in Syria.

We welcome contributions addressing, including but not limited to, the following themes:

• Shifts in the role of former detainees within justice and accountability processes
• The evolution of memory practices: preserving testimonies, archiving sites, and reimagining spaces of detention
• Assessing transitional justice pathways: progress, setbacks, and possibilities for reform
• Coordination and information-sharing mechanisms among actors, and their political and security challenges
• Critical readings of local and international approaches to the legacy of prisons
• Comparative reflections from other international experiences and what they may offer to the Syrian context
• Artistic, literary, and activist practices that respond to this moment and reshape dominant narratives

Articles should be between 700 and 1,000 words and may be submitted in Arabic or English. Selected contributions will be published on the MENA Prison Forum Website and shared through the forum’s networks and partner platforms.

Interested contributors are invited to submit a short proposal (maximum 150 words) including:

• A brief personal background
• The proposed topic

Proposals should be sent to: [email protected]

Deadline for proposals: 30 June 2026