Tens of thousands of civilians remain disappeared in Syria, UN report
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – On Monday, the UN Commission of Inquiry released a report in which it said that after a decade of the Syrian conflict, tens of thousands of civilians, who have been arbitrarily detained in Syria, remain forcibly disappeared, while thousands of the detainees have been subject to torture, sexual violence and death in detention.
The report, which was released today, based on over 2,500 interviews conducted over 10 years and investigations into more than 100 specific detention facilities.
“The fate of tens of thousands of civilians who were forcibly disappeared by the Syrian government forces, many nearly a decade ago, remains unknown,” UN investigators said.
The report pointed out that the Syrian government arbitrarily arrested and detained individuals, and committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Also, it stated that the Islamic State Organization (ISIS), Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and the Syrian national Army (SNA), have all unlawfully and arbitrarily deprived individuals of their liberty and have committed war crimes inside Syria.
For his turn, the Commission of Inquiry Chair Paulo Pinheiro said, “This is a national trauma that needs to be urgently addressed by action from the parties and the international community,”
The Commission urged the Syrian government to take urgent and comprehensive steps to reveal the fates of those who have been forcibly disappeared.
The report recommended that the international community pressure warring parties to prevent violations, establish a mechanism to account for the missing, and support victims, including Syrians and foreigners held in displacement camps.