Nearly 100 People Abducted or Disappeared in Syria Since January, UN Reports
The United Nations human rights office has documented at least 97 cases of abduction or enforced disappearance in Syria since the beginning of the year.
GENEVA: The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported on Friday that nearly 100 people have been recorded as abducted or disappeared in Syria since January, with ongoing reports of new enforced disappearances.
Thameen Al-Keetan, a spokesperson for OHCHR, provided information during a press briefing in Geneva.
He highlighted the continued concern over abductions and enforced disappearances, eleven months after the fall of the former government under ousted President Bashar Assad.
The OHCHR has documented at least 97 individuals who have fallen victim to abduction or disappearance since January, although Al-Keetan noted that obtaining an accurate figure is challenging.
This recent number adds to the over 100,000 people who went missing during the regime of the former president.
Following a rapid 11-day military campaign led by Islamist rebels known as Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, which resulted in the toppling of Assad last year, many Syrians seek accountability for human rights abuses committed under his leadership, including within a notorious network of prison facilities.
While some families have been reunited with their loved ones since Assad's ousting, numerous others remain uncertain about the fate of their relatives, as per the OHCHR.
The current volatile security situation in Syria, which has seen violence erupt in coastal regions and the southern city of Sweida, complicates efforts to locate and trace missing individuals.
Some people have even been threatened for speaking with UN investigators, Al-Keetan added.
In response, the OHCHR brought attention to the case of Hamza Al-Amarin, a Syria Civil Defense volunteer who went missing on July 16 while supporting a humanitarian evacuation mission in Sweida during an episode of violence.
They called for respect for international law and urged action to address his disappearance.
In May, Syria's presidency announced plans to establish commissions dedicated to justice and investigating missing persons, tasked with examining crimes committed during the rule of the Assad family.
Thameen Al-Keetan, a spokesperson for OHCHR, provided information during a press briefing in Geneva.
He highlighted the continued concern over abductions and enforced disappearances, eleven months after the fall of the former government under ousted President Bashar Assad.
The OHCHR has documented at least 97 individuals who have fallen victim to abduction or disappearance since January, although Al-Keetan noted that obtaining an accurate figure is challenging.
This recent number adds to the over 100,000 people who went missing during the regime of the former president.
Following a rapid 11-day military campaign led by Islamist rebels known as Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, which resulted in the toppling of Assad last year, many Syrians seek accountability for human rights abuses committed under his leadership, including within a notorious network of prison facilities.
While some families have been reunited with their loved ones since Assad's ousting, numerous others remain uncertain about the fate of their relatives, as per the OHCHR.
The current volatile security situation in Syria, which has seen violence erupt in coastal regions and the southern city of Sweida, complicates efforts to locate and trace missing individuals.
Some people have even been threatened for speaking with UN investigators, Al-Keetan added.
In response, the OHCHR brought attention to the case of Hamza Al-Amarin, a Syria Civil Defense volunteer who went missing on July 16 while supporting a humanitarian evacuation mission in Sweida during an episode of violence.
They called for respect for international law and urged action to address his disappearance.
In May, Syria's presidency announced plans to establish commissions dedicated to justice and investigating missing persons, tasked with examining crimes committed during the rule of the Assad family.
