A single mother hides in a cramped apartment with her children, fearing the chaos taking place just outside her window. Outside is a world of opposition, where the government controls northwest Syria. Despite this, she continues to hope for a miracle.
In 2011, Syrian citizens protested Syrian President Bashar Assad in a large uprising. The government responded by using violence to suppress popular protest. Syria plunged into a full-fledged civil war. Since then, 130,000 people are believed to have gone missing. Families have been trapped in uncertainty for more than a decade.
“They beat him up in front of my young daughter and then took him away,” said Umm Mohammed, or “Mother of Mohammed.” She is only one of the many wives who had their husbands taken away during the civil war. After more than a decade, Umm Mohammed is still waiting for information on her lost husband, and possibly a return.
Umm Mohammed concealed her full name in fear of the Syrian authorities harming her husband. Many families and human rights activists continue to demand an investigation of the missing people.
However, the UN General Assembly may finally give families hope by forming an international search institution. This institution would collect information from families, whistleblowers, and Syrian civil society organizations. An investigation “might set a precedent for addressing the suffering of different people in different parts of the world,” said Wafa Mustafa, a Syrian who lost her father in the civil war.
Information gathered shows that some of the missing are believed to be in government groups, others taken by armed groups. Many have also been buried in mass cemeteries. 53,000 images, including the “Caesar photos” taken in Syrian prisons and military hospitals, show detainees with signs of torture. A disturbing video shows Syrian security agents leading blindfolded men into a pit, shooting them, and soon setting their bodies on fire.
Gathered information, including these Caesar photos, have allowed families to identify missing loved ones. Syrian officers are also being convicted of their involvement in the disappearance and torture of prison captives.
Umm Mohammed can only wait to receive information gathered about her husband from Syrian authorities. Many like her can only hope for the best.
Source:
Families of thousands missing in Syria draw hope from U.N. push – Los Angeles Times.pdf (bubble.io)
Syrian Civil War – Uprising in Syria, 2011– | Britannica
In 2011, Syrian citizens protested Syrian President Bashar Assad in a large uprising. The government responded by using violence to suppress popular protest. Syria plunged into a full-fledged civil war. Since then, 130,000 people are believed to have gone missing. Families have been trapped in uncertainty for more than a decade.
“They beat him up in front of my young daughter and then took him away,” said Umm Mohammed, or “Mother of Mohammed.” She is only one of the many wives who had their husbands taken away during the civil war. After more than a decade, Umm Mohammed is still waiting for information on her lost husband, and possibly a return.
Umm Mohammed concealed her full name in fear of the Syrian authorities harming her husband. Many families and human rights activists continue to demand an investigation of the missing people.
However, the UN General Assembly may finally give families hope by forming an international search institution. This institution would collect information from families, whistleblowers, and Syrian civil society organizations. An investigation “might set a precedent for addressing the suffering of different people in different parts of the world,” said Wafa Mustafa, a Syrian who lost her father in the civil war.
Information gathered shows that some of the missing are believed to be in government groups, others taken by armed groups. Many have also been buried in mass cemeteries. 53,000 images, including the “Caesar photos” taken in Syrian prisons and military hospitals, show detainees with signs of torture. A disturbing video shows Syrian security agents leading blindfolded men into a pit, shooting them, and soon setting their bodies on fire.
Gathered information, including these Caesar photos, have allowed families to identify missing loved ones. Syrian officers are also being convicted of their involvement in the disappearance and torture of prison captives.
Umm Mohammed can only wait to receive information gathered about her husband from Syrian authorities. Many like her can only hope for the best.
Source:
Families of thousands missing in Syria draw hope from U.N. push – Los Angeles Times.pdf (bubble.io)
Syrian Civil War – Uprising in Syria, 2011– | Britannica
