The fall of Bashar al-Assad’s Regime on December 8, 2024, resulted in the liberation of prisons and detention centers, releasing thousands of detainees who had endured years of suffering. However, the opening of these facilities leaves the fate of thousands who remain missing unknown, raising the pressing question: Where are they?
In the coming period, Syrians will face the potential or actual discovery of mass graves and random burial sites across the country, which the regime and other forces have excavated and used in the past to cover up their crimes and keep Syrian families in a state of uncertainty.
Mass graves are scenes of atrocities committed by the former Syrian regime and other forces. They are also a crucial source of information that will significantly contribute to uncovering the fate of the missing and forcibly disappeared, while enabling the return of their remains to their families for proper burial and mourning ceremonies. Therefore, any tampering, exhumation, or interference with mass grave sites will distort forensic evidence and hinder the discovery of the fate of the disappeared and missing, obstructing the path to justice and increasing the suffering of their families.
We, the families of the missing persons, urgently appeal and demand the government and relevant authorities in Syria to take immediate action to authorize specialized groups dedicated to protecting mass graves and ensuring that no party, including the families of the missing, can access them. We also call for the establishment of official channels for communication and cooperation with the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic (IIMP), established on June 29, 2023, as the international body responsible for clarifying the fate and whereabouts of all missing persons in Syria. This institution will oversee the identification and exhumation of mass graves and informal burial sites based on scientific and professional standards. Its responsibilities include analyzing evidence obtained from these sites and maintaining sensitive and continuous communication with the families of the missing until the fate of their loved ones is determined.
This process is complex and involves searching and investigating human remains, particularly those that are old and decomposed. It must be carried out by professional specialists, in a coordinated and thorough manner, to ensure reliable results. Additionally, this issue must be handled with the involvement and oversight of the families of the missing, as they are the rightful claimants and can provide valuable information to the relevant authorities. Any operation targeting mass graves should be driven by the demands of the families and carried out in continuous cooperation with them.
Protecting mass graves and ensuring they are not tampered with or opened should be a priority for Syrians, especially for the families of the missing, in order to preserve the rights of the victims and their families, and to achieve justice in the future.
Truth and Justice Charter Group