Families Search for Missing Persons in Syria

In the aftermath of the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, families in Syria are desperately searching for their missing loved ones, many of whom disappeared during the 13-year civil war and were believed to be detained in oppressive prisons. At Al-Mujtahid Hospital in Damascus, relatives gather daily to examine gruesome photographs of tortured bodies, hoping to identify family members lost to the regime's brutality. Sarah Abdel Hamid Al-A'ami, who is searching for her four brothers, expressed her anguish and anger, stating, 'They killed our children. I want blood for blood, I want soul for soul.' The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports that around 157,000 people have vanished into the government's prison system since the uprising began in 2011. The International Independent Mechanism for Syria (IIMP) has been established to support victims' rights to information regarding their missing family members, urging the protection of relevant records and mass graves. While some families have begun to reunite, many still seek closure amidst a climate of uncertainty and misinformation.