Syrian rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), declared on Monday that his forces will ensure accountability for alleged war criminals and torturers from the regime of toppled President Bashar Assad.

Jolani, whose real name is Ahmed al-Sharaa, leads the most prominent faction among the rebel groups that overthrew Assad’s government after 14 years of civil war. HTS and allied rebel factions, operating under the Syrian Salvation Government, are now working to establish authority in the fractured nation.

Rebel forces have offered a general amnesty to conscripted Syrian military personnel. However, Jolani emphasized that this clemency does not extend to individuals accused of human rights abuses under Assad’s regime.

“We will not hesitate to hold accountable the criminals, murderers, security and army officers involved in torturing the Syrian people,” Jolani stated in a message shared via HTS’s Military Operations Command Telegram channel.

He added that the new authorities will actively pursue alleged war criminals who have fled Syria, offering rewards for information about senior army and security officers involved in crimes.

The collapse of Assad’s regime during a 10-day rebel offensive saw crowds of fighters and civilians overrun government prisons. In every major city on the road to Damascus, rebel forces freed prisoners, culminating in the liberation of the notorious Sednaya prison in the capital.

Sednaya, referred to as the “Human Slaughterhouse” by Amnesty International, has been infamous for its brutal treatment of detainees. Videos from the scene showed rebels and locals freeing men, women, and children from its cells.

Omar Alshogre, a former prisoner at Sednaya, described the horrific conditions  revealing that detainees were subjected to sexual abuse and inhumane treatment.

Jolani’s statement highlighted plans to create a wanted list of high-ranking officials implicated in crimes against the Syrian people. “We will pursue war criminals and demand their extradition from the countries to which they fled so that they may receive their just punishment,” he pledged.

As rebel forces work to consolidate power, their commitment to justice for past atrocities will be closely watched by Syrians and the international community. The promise of accountability marks a pivotal moment in the nation’s post-conflict rebuilding efforts.