UN war crimes investigators Sunday described Bashar al-Assad's fall from power as a "historic new beginning" for Syrians, urging those taking charge to ensure the "atrocities" committed under his regime are not repeated.
"Today marks a historic new beginning for the Syrian people, who have suffered unspeakable violence and atrocities over the past 14 years," the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Syria (CoI) said.
Syrians woke up to a changed country on Sunday, as rebels swept into Damascus less than two weeks into a lightning offensive, declaring they had toppled "tyrant" Assad, whose whereabouts are unknown after he reportedly fled Syria.
"The Syrian people should be allowed to view this historical moment as the end of decades of state-organised repression," COI chair Paulo Pinheiro said.
He pointed in particular to the "prisoners being released after decades in arbitrary detention from the infamous Sednaya Prison outside Damascus", in a "scene that millions of Syrians could not have imagined a few days ago".
"It is incumbent on those now in charge to ensure that such atrocities are never again repeated within the walls of Sednaya or any other detention centre in Syria."
Across the territory, which has rapidly been taken by the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), "the past few days have seen the release of thousands of prisoners who have endured years, or even decades, of incommunicado detention", the CoI said.
"This should bring immense relief to the freed individuals and their families and offers hope to those still awaiting news of the tens of thousands of disappeared loved ones," it added.
The CoI, which has been investigating and recording all alleged war crimes and other violations of international human rights law since shortly after Syria's civil war erupted in 2011, highlighted the evidence of abuses lingering inside the now emptying detention centres.
One of the commissioners, Lynn Welchman, urged those now taking charge of Syria's detention centres to "take great care not to disturb evidence of violations and crimes".
Fellow commissioner Hanny Megally meanwhile welcomed the fact that "the long and arduous search for Syria's disappeared now has a chance to progress exponentially".
The COI hailed initial statements from various parties indicating a commitment to protecting civilians.
"Their deeds must now match their words," it said.
The investigators called on those controlling large areas to "break the destructive cycle of pillage and plunder" seen in the wake of past shifts in territorial control.
The leadership, it said, should "take immediate steps to prevent looting and ensure the protection of homes and possessions left behind by the hundreds of thousands who have been displaced this past week".
"The Syrian people should be allowed to view this historical moment as the end of decades of state-organised repression," COI chair Paulo Pinheiro said.
