As dozens of mass graves come to light, Syrians face the daunting task of identifying the dead and bringing closure to the families of some of the country’s more than 160,000 missing people.
While Damascus hails the emptying of Assad regime prisons, detainees arrested for opposing Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) continue to languish in Idlib prisons.
In the chaotic, jubilant process of emptying Assad’s prisons—including the notorious Saydnaya on the outskirts of Damascus—misinformation has spread and crucial evidence has been tampered with, SNHR’s Nour al-Khatib tells Syria Direct.
Property loss is among the most prominent repercussions of Syria’s 13-year conflict. Women are particularly affected, and face additional challenges to regaining their rights.
The arrest of journalist Bakr al-Qassem last month brought renewed attention to Syrian National Army (SNA) prisons in northwestern Syria—particularly Hawar Kilis—and Turkey’s role in violations inside.
The UN’s highest court ordered Syria to take “all measures within its power” to prevent torture and preserve evidence related to a landmark case brought by the governments of Canada and the Netherlands. Syrian survivors and advocates welcomed the move, but had hoped for more.
A landmark torture case brought against Syria by Canada and the Netherlands began at the UN’s highest court on Tuesday—with Damascus absent. While it is not a criminal case, torture survivors and family members of Syria’s disappeared say it marks another milestone in their long, slow fight for accountability.
Enforced disappearance is among the most widespread and devastating crimes in Syria. But the lived reality for the loved ones of the missing is more complicated than the strict definition of the term, writes Noura Ghazi.
