Investigations

The investigations team at SBC works on in-depth investigations into international crimes committed in Syria with the aim of pursuing both legal and non-legal routes towards accountability.

Our investigations adopt a victim-centred approach to ensure that our work is aligned with the interests and priorities of the represented communities, and to ensure that affected communities define the accountability that they seek. We involve affected communities in the delivery of both legal and non-legal accountability initiatives, including through media and social media exposure of the documented crimes and their impacts.

We further adopt a gender-sensitive and intersectional approach to our investigative work. We are conscious of cultural and social dimensions that may inform the way in which women, religious groups, and ethnic groups experience conflict and choose to participate in accountability-seeking measures. Our goal is to create a space within the accountability field that adequately reflects and champions the diversity within communities, with the hopes of providing a more holistic view into incidents or investigations pursued.

Meet the investigations team

Yasmine Nahlawi

Dr Yasmine Nahlawi (PhD Public International Law, Newcastle University) is a legal consultant with a focus on international legal mechanisms and processes pertaining to the Syrian conflict. She has led SBC’s Investigations Team since 2019 and is also a co-founder of Adalaty, an organization which elevates the voices and experiences of Syrian women to impact and lead on the understanding and delivery of justice. She has published widely on Syria, including her book ‘The Responsibility to Protect in Libya and Syria: Mass Atrocities, Human Protection, and International Law’ (Routledge 2020).

Muhammad Shihadeh

Muhammad Shihadeh joined SBC’s Investigations Team in 2022 as an investigator and a consultant. He studied English and Interpreting at Damascus University as well as Conflict Studies at King's College London. He served as the Deputy Head of the Local Council of Daraya City and collaborated with various NGOs focused on Syria in areas including peacebuilding, education and human rights.

Sema nassar

Sema Nassar is a human rights defender with a focus on detainees and forcibly disappeared persons. Since the early stages of the Syrian conflict, she worked on documenting human rights violations and sexual violence in detention centers. Sema contributed to numerous reports and policy papers on documentation, gender-sensitive accountability, and legislation concerning missing persons, including work with the Conflict and Civicness Research Group at LSE IDEAS. She is a co-founder of multiple initiatives, such as the ‘We’ Network for WHRD in the MENA region and Urnammu for Justice and Human Rights.

hussam eddin kassas

Hussam Eddin Kassas is an open-source intelligence specialist focusing on human rights and strategic litigation, particularly within the Syrian context. Over the past six years, he has supported legal efforts and contributed to Syrian and international justice initiatives. In early 2024, Hussam joined the SBC Investigations Team as an investigator. He also works on monitoring the war economy in Syria and the associated violations.

mahmoud bwedany

Mahmoud Bwedany is a Syrian activist from Syria’s eastern Ghouta who has been working in media and advocacy in the Syrian context since late 2017. He is the Communications Coordinator with SBC’s Investigation Team, as well as a board member and volunteer with the Do Not Suffocate the Truth campaign which addresses the use of chemical weapons in Syria.