A mass grave that could contain the remains of thousands of people has been discovered near the Syrian capital, Damascus, as the new interim government pledges to hold those responsible for crimes under ousted president Bashar al-Assad accountable.
The site in al-Qutayfah, 40 kilometers north of the capital, is one of several mass graves identified across the country following the fall of the Assad family’s decades-long rule.
Twelve mass graves have also been uncovered in southern Syria. At one location, the bodies of 22 people, including women and children, were found showing signs of execution and torture.
Bashar al-Assad and his father Hafez, who served as president until his death in 2000, have been accused of killing hundreds of thousands of people, including through executions in the country’s infamous prison system.
Ugur Umit Ungor, professor of genocide studies at the University of Amsterdam, explained that the discovery of the “centralized mass grave” in al-Qutayfah was “a reflection of the killing machine of the Assad regime”.
“The true scale of exactly how many mass graves are out there is only to be found in the archives of the Assad regime, that’s why it is absolutely crucial that they are handled in a professional way and that people don’t go pillaging them,” he said.
He proposed creating a DNA repository of the families of missing persons to identify remains and link them to names, providing closure for those still searching for their loved ones.
The professor was among a small group of academics who received videos and other evidence from anonymous sources as part of a year-long investigation into grave sites.
Journalist Mohammed Vall, reporting from Qatana, said it is believed the regime’s air intelligence service was responsible for transferring bodies from hospitals – where they were collected after being killed in prison – to mass graves.
“These mass graves hide the secrets of 54 years of despotism, torture, and dictatorship. This is just the beginning,” said Vall.
Last week, Human Rights Watch visited the southern Damascus suburb of Tadamon, where human remains with signs of execution were discovered. The New York-based organization urged Syria’s transitional authorities to preserve physical evidence across the country.
The commander-in-chief of the new administration, Ahmed al-Sharaa, stated that those who committed crimes against the Syrian people or actively aided al-Assad in committing those crimes would be brought to justice.
“We will not relent in delivering justice to our people, and we will not allow the crimes against our nation to be forgotten,” said al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani.
He added that evidence is being collected and called on the United Nations (UN) and other international institutions to assist in documenting the regime’s crimes.
On Monday, al-Assad released his first statement since being ousted, claiming that he fled to Russia only after the fall of Damascus and condemning the country’s new leaders as “terrorists.”
The group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is listed as a “terrorist” organization in many countries, is attempting to calm fears by ensuring the protection of minorities, security, and a peaceful political transition.
