More than a week after the fall of Syrian President Assad, evidence of atrocities committed under his regime is emerging. Near Damascus, a mass grave has been discovered, potentially containing over 100,000 bodies.
The White Helmets have reported thirteen mass graves across Syria, with about 150,000 people still missing. Vincent Cillessen, from the Netherlands’ National Investigation Team, emphasizes the complexities in identifying the bodies, a process that might take years.
The International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) has identified seventy potential mass grave sites. ICMP Director-General Kathryne Bomberger notes the challenge in verifying these locations, often using satellite images and open-source data.
The identification process relies heavily on DNA comparisons with family member samples. Since 2017, ICMP has prepared for this task, as the Assad regime was notorious for making people disappear.
Expert Ugur Üngör suggests many detainees were executed and buried in mass graves. The ICMP has records from 80,000 Syrian families seeking missing relatives.
More DNA samples from Syria are needed for successful identification. Bomberger is hopeful due to well-documented conflicts and advanced technology.
Identifying the dead is crucial for their relatives and necessary for peace.
Source: NOS