Families of Missing Persons Demand Justice in Post-Asad Syria

In the wake of the recent downfall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, families of more than 112,000 individuals reported missing or arbitrarily detained during the brutal civil war are calling for justice and answers regarding their loved ones' fates. Activist Wafa Mustafa, whose father has been missing since 2013, joined dozens of others in a demonstration in Damascus to raise awareness of their plight.

Mustafa, a member of the coalition Free Syria’s Disappeared, expressed both joy and sorrow at the regime's collapse, noting the painful reality that many families are still left without closure. “We want to know the whole truth. What happened to our relatives? Who killed them? Where are they buried?” she stated, holding a photograph of her father.

The families’ demands include the preservation of documentation and evidence related to the missing persons, as newly discovered mass graves continue to surface. The absence of a professional response to this task adds to their frustration. Aya Majzoub, a regional director at Amnesty International, emphasized the importance of these efforts for accountability and reconciliation in Syria.

Meanwhile, the new government led by Ahmed al-Shara faces the complex challenge of addressing wartime abuses not only by the previous regime but also by rebel militias, including their own. Past actors, such as former regime officers, are being offered opportunities for amnesty under a proposed reconciliation process, raising concerns among victims' families about potential impunity.

The situation has sparked comparisons to other nations grappling with their own histories of human rights violations, with advocates calling for international support to establish accountability mechanisms similar to truth commissions in places like Argentina. As the hopes for a peaceful transition continue, advocates remain steadfast in their pursuit of justice for the missing.