The Role of Criminal Law in Protecting Syrian World Heritage Sites "An analytical study

Abstract

Criminal law plays the important role in protecting Syrian cultural heritage sites. The criminal law in Syria emphasizes protecting archaeological, historical and heritage sites and preventing their violation and destruction. The criminal Code also punishes anyone who trespasses on historical buildings, monuments, or heritage with legal penalties that include imprisonment and fines. Cultural heritage sites in Syria suffer from serious threats due to trafficking, illegal excavation, theft and destruction, which makes the implementation of the penal code even more challenging. Descriptive and historical approaches were used in an analytical manner to reach the results. The importance of the research comes from the fact that it analyzes the laws related to the protection of cultural heritage. The research aims to identify gaps and aspects of the existing legal frameworks and suggest ways to strengthen them, in addition to calling for changes and improvements to better protect Syrian cultural heritage. The research results revealed the need to unify existing legal mechanisms and frameworks that can be used to protect cultural heritage during the war on Syria, and identify the most effective ways to enforce legal mechanisms and frameworks to protect cultural heritage, in addition to applying best practices and strategies to prevent and deter the destruction of Syrian cultural heritage. The research recommends the need to continue analyzing the role of international laws in protecting cultural heritage and strategies for its success.