The Syrian Network for Human Rights documented at least 177,021 people, including 4,536 children and 8,984 women, who remain forcibly disappeared in Syria since March 2011.
In a report published on Sunday, August 30, the Syrian Network for Human Rights also documented the deaths of at least 45,365 people due to torture or inhumane detention conditions during the same period, including 45,038 people who died inside detention centers run by the Assad regime.
The use of the phrase “at least” suggests that the actual figures are likely higher than the number of cases the Network documented.
The Network said the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on December 8, 2024, did not end the violation of enforced disappearance or close the file of the disappeared, explaining that enforced disappearance remains an ongoing violation as long as the fate or whereabouts of the disappeared person remain unknown.
The Network called for a shift from documentation conducted under highly restrictive conditions toward systematic efforts to determine the fate of disappeared people, protect evidence, locate mass graves, examine records and archives, and connect information that had previously been scattered.
It also affirmed the right of victims’ families to know the circumstances of the disappearance, the fate of the disappeared person, and their whereabouts.
The Network said the new phase creates an urgent need to protect evidence, warning of the risks of its loss, tampering, transfer, or destruction.
It recalled that the patterns documented in Syria may, if their elements are established before the competent judicial bodies, amount to enforced disappearance as a crime against humanity under Article 7(1)(i) of the Rome Statute and Article 5 of the International Convention, which Syria has not joined to date.
Recommendations and Demands
The Syrian Network for Human Rights called on the Syrian government to treat the issue of missing and forcibly disappeared people as an urgent national priority and place it at the heart of the transitional justice process.
The Network called on the public prosecution and national judicial authorities to prioritize investigations into enforced disappearance cases and deaths in custody, protect the chain of custody of evidence, ensure judicial independence, cooperate with the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism, and strengthen cooperation with countries conducting investigations and prosecutions under universal jurisdiction.
According to the Network, the United Nations and the Human Rights Council should provide sustained political, financial, and technical support to the Independent Institution on Missing Persons, keep the issue of missing Syrians on the international agenda, support the protection of evidence and preservation of mass graves, and provide expertise in forensic medicine, DNA analysis, and the identification of human remains.
The Syrian Network also called on UN member states to continue exercising universal jurisdiction in cases involving enforced disappearance in Syria and to strengthen judicial cooperation, particularly with specialized prosecution offices in Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Sweden, as well as with the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism.
Platform for Reporting Forcibly Disappeared People
The National Commission for Missing Persons launched the national “Athar” program for reporting missing and forcibly disappeared people through a mobile application and an official website, coinciding with the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances.
In a statement issued on Sunday, August 30, the Commission said the program is part of its efforts to build a unified national registry of missing persons.
According to the Commission, the registry aims to support search efforts and determine the fate of victims, in fulfillment of families’ right to know the truth.
The “Athar” program provides a secure and accessible way for families to register information about their relatives and submit reports directly.
In the same context, the Commission announced dedicated technical support phone numbers covering different governorates and regions to answer families’ questions, assist them in creating digital accounts, and help them complete their files.
The Commission also said its centers in the governorates are ready to receive families seeking direct assistance with registration and the submission of reports.
It added that, at a later stage, its teams will work to reach different areas and communities to assist families who were unable to register electronically or reach the Commission’s centers, ensuring that reporting is available as widely as possible.
The Commission stressed its commitment to protecting personal data and privacy and preserving the dignity of victims and their families, noting that every report could contribute to reaching the truth and determining the fate of missing people.