Families Desperate for Answers: Searching for Missing Syrians in Mass Graves

Ziad Alaywi stands near a deep ditch in Najha, southeast of Damascus, filled with worry about his two brothers. He fears they might be in one of the many mass graves where prisoners who were tortured are buried. “We want to know where our children are,” he says, looking at the freshly dug dirt. Families like his have been searching for missing loved ones since the Syrian conflict began, which has tragically taken over 500,000 lives.

Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in early December, people have been looking for their missing family members. Ziad, a 55-year-old driver, recalls how his brothers and four cousins were arrested over a decade ago. “I’ve checked every prison, but I still have no answers,” he shares.

Residents say there are other similar sites with signs of recent digging, and they hope that searching these graves would bring them peace. “It’s not just about one or two people; it’s thousands who are missing,” Ziad adds. He urges international investigators to help uncover these mass graves so families can finally know the truth about their loved ones.

Others have expressed sadness at not finding their missing relatives in the newly opened prisons. Just a few kilometers from Ziad, a group in white suits is working to collect evidence. They’ve received many calls about mass graves, as people suspect that almost every military site has one.

Omar al-Salmo, a civil defense official, explains that they are trying to collect bones for DNA testing. In the past decade, it’s estimated that over 100,000 people have died in Syrian prisons, mostly from torture. Human Rights Watch is calling on the new Syrian government to protect evidence from mass graves for future legal actions and to work with the International Committee of the Red Cross for help.

In a different area called Daraa, Mohammad Khaled noticed something odd in his returned farm ground. After digging, he and others found 22 bodies in just one day. The search for justice and answers continues for the many families left in despair.