‘Worrying reports’ of abductions and disappearances in Syria continue
Nearly a hundred people have been abducted or forcibly disappeared in Syria since January, according to the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR). The agency urged Syrian authorities to strengthen accountability and clarify the fate of the missing.
“Eleven months after the fall of the former government in Syria, we continue to receive worrying reports about dozens of abductions and enforced disappearances,”
said OHCHR spokesperson Thameen Al-Keetan during a press briefing in Geneva.
Ongoing political transition
Syria remains in political transition after the December 2024 overthrow of the Assad regime, which followed more than 13 years of devastating civil war. Since the beginning of this year, OHCHR has documented at least 97 new cases of abductions.
This number comes in addition to over 100,000 individuals who disappeared during the five-decade-long Assad family rule. While some families have been reunited, many others still endure uncertainty about their loved ones’ whereabouts or fate.
“The fate and whereabouts of all those who have gone missing, both before and after the fall of the former government, must urgently be clarified,”
Al-Keetan emphasized, reaffirming OHCHR’s backing for the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic (IIMP).
Human toll and continuing search
Karla Quintana, who leads the UN body, noted that the scale of the tragedy touches nearly every Syrian household.
“Everyone in Syria knows someone who has gone missing.”
An estimated tens of thousands remain unaccounted for, underscoring the urgent need for justice, information, and reconciliation efforts in the country.
Author’s Summary
The UN urges Syrian authorities to address nearly a hundred recent abduction cases amid long-standing disappearances, reflecting the heavy human and emotional toll of Syria’s ongoing transition.