Forbidden Witnesses: the Pursuit of Truth and Justice in post-Assad Syria

Syria: Forbidden Witnesses, is a documentary produced by Reporters Without Borders and released in February 2026, examining what it meant to report from Syria under the authoritarian rule of Bashar al-Assad. For decades, Syrian journalists faced surveillance, imprisonment, enforced disappearance, and targeted killings as the regime sought to suppress independent reporting and control information.

Following the fall of the Assad regime in 2024, Syria has entered a fragile and uncertain transition. The screening of this short documentary (25 minutes) will be followed by a discussion exploring the role of journalists, investigators, and civil society in documenting abuses, uncovering the fate of missing reporters, and contributing to efforts toward truth, justice and accountability.

This event is partnership with the MENA Program of Sciences Po.

Conversation with: 

• Martin Roux, Head of the Crisis Desk, Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
• Aghiad Ghanem, Scientific Director, MENA Program, Sciences Po

Moderated by Carla Kañero, PSIA student, Joint Master in Journalism and Human Rights and Humanitarian Action