Fate of 140 Syria’s Suwayda residents still unknown
SUWAYDA, Syria (North Press) – The fate of around 140 residents of Suwayda Governorate, southern Syria, remains unknown months after they disappeared during the violence that erupted in July, a detainee affairs official from the National Guard told North Press on Wednesday.
Families of the missing have continued to demand that authorities clarify their relatives’ fate and disclose the circumstances surrounding their disappearance.
The official said the Syrian transitional government has not yet provided information about those who were forcibly disappeared during the unrest.
On Feb. 26, the Suwayda Governorate’s media directorate announced that a prisoner exchange in the governorate resulted in the release of 61 detainees affiliated with the National Guard – a Druze armed group.
According to the official, the detainees had been held in prisons run by the transitional government and were freed as part of an exchange deal reached between Damascus and the National Guard in Suwayda.
The exchange was conducted with mediation from the United States and under the supervision of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
However, the agreement did not include any information about the remaining missing individuals.
Families of the disappeared have called on the relevant authorities to reveal the whereabouts of their relatives, determine whether they remain in detention, or clarify the circumstances of their disappearance.
Relatives say they have lived in a state of uncertainty and anxiety for months as they continue to search for answers about the fate of their loved ones.