syira – the struggle to be free - International Commission on Missing

Enforced disappearances in
SYIRA
Radwan Ziadeh
Damascus Center for Human Rights Studeis
The Missing: Agenda for the Future
The Hague, 31th October 2013
Transitional Justice in the Arab World
Years of Fear in Syria
Syria`s Freedom
Syria Tragedy
Darraya Massacre
Responsibility
The UN Secretary General has condemned
“the appalling and brutal crime” in the
town of Daraya, calling for an inquest into
the reported killing of more than 700
people in 26th of August 2012
Justice and Accountability
Peaceful uprising
Ghiath Mattar
Syrian activist who became known for
giving flowers and roses to army
soldiers in his home town of Daraya.
Ghiath was one of the first people to
organize and lead peaceful protests
in Syria as Syrians rose up against
dictator Bashar al-Assad.
Death
Ghiath was arrested on 6 September
2011 by the security forces of the
Syrian regime. Four days later, his body
was returned to his family with clear
scars and sores resulting from severe
torture. His funeral was attended by
the Ambassadors of the United States,
Japan, Germany, France and Denmark.
When Ghiath died, his wife was
expecting their first baby. The baby
was named after his father.
Ghiath Mattar became a symbol of
peaceful resistance in the Syrian
Revolution
International Justice
International Criminal Court
Responsibility to Protect
Nour Kelse
Aleppo, 2012
Neighborhood
Nour Kelse
Aleppo, 2013
Apartment Buildings
Nour Kelse
Aleppo, 2012
Walking Home
Nour Kelse
Aleppo, 2013
FSA Soldier Carries a Comrade to Safety
Nour Kelse
Aleppo, 2013
Civilian Death
Nour Kelse
Aleppo, 2013
The Regime War Plane
Nour Kelse
Aleppo, 2013
Assessing Damage
Nour Kelse
Aleppo, 2013
Winter in Aleppo
Nour Kelse
Aleppo, 2013
The Mosque
Nour Kelse
Aleppo, 2013
The Church
Nour Kelse
Aleppo, 2013
Without Medical Treatment
Nour Kelse
Aleppo, 2013
Photograph Used for Target Practice by the Regime
Dr. Radwan Ziadeh ~ The Journey Home
Crater from long range missile strike. This picture is indicative of the level of damage done by the
Assad regime to Syrian infrastructure. In this strike, the main water line in the city was destroyed.
Destruction from
regime strikes. In this
strike, five buildings
were completely
destroyed leading to
the death of 54
townspeople. An
additional 100
people were injured.
Dr. Radwan Ziadeh ~ The Journey Home
The Children of Syria
2013
FaDi Zayada
The Children of Syria
2013
FaDi Zayada
The Children of Syria
2013
FaDi Zayada
The Children of Syria
2013
FaDi Zayada
Saad Chouiha 2013
I was honored to be allowed to see this martyr; I knew his place was in heaven, he died to bring
freedom to his country. I felt only deep respect. I watched his mother, bending down next to her son’s
face as she whispered to him, “Why, why my son, did you do this?” She stood up slowly, with great
pride on her face. I wondered if I could act with such grace in such a circumstance, and I knew the
answer was no.
The Journey Home
Bab al-Salameh border crossing between
Turkey and Syria flying the Revolutionary
flag. Since the border crossing is now
under control of the Syrian opposition,
individuals manning the border post took
down the flag of the Syrian Arab Republic
(the flag of the Assad regime) and instead
raised the flag of the Syrian Revolution.
“Free Syria Welcomes You” - The
revolutionaries took down the picture of the
authoritarian president, Bashar al-Assad, and
instead put up a message welcoming everyone
to Free Syria.
The Journey Home
The main mosque in the city. There was
intense fighting here. The Assad regime
used the mosque as a base before being
forced out by the Free Syrian Army.
The families all refused, they wanted only for the statue of Hafiz al Assad, Bashar’s father to
be removed. The government removed it and asked what else was needed to keep the
families quiet. Their answer was amazing. The families of the dead said they would give
money to the government. They would give the President 50 million and in return for one of
his children, as he had taken theirs children.
Nour Kelse
Aleppo, 2013
Free Syrian Army – Before the Battle
List of the martyrs of the city of
Azaaz. The city council placed
the names as a memorial for all
the individuals who have
sacrificed their lives for the sake
of a new, free Syria.
The Journey Home
Syrian BMP. One of the first armored personnel
carriers destroyed in Azaaz by the Free Syrian
Army.
Dr. Ziadeh in His Home Mosque.
Van Dyke ~ Documentary ~ “Not Anymore”
Transitional Justice in Syria
• There is no possibility to start a genuine process of transitional justice or
process of political transition toward pluralism, democracy and
reconciliation in Syria without a complete cessation of violence. As
transitional justice experiences across the world have taught us,
reconciliation is closely linked to the path of political transition and it
depends mainly on the political will and vision of both the actors and the
political forces on the ground. The launch of transitional justice processes
can let victims feel that those responsible for committing crimes against
their children and daughters will be brought to justice and that the time of
impunity is over. With the implementation of a TJ program, Syrians
without exception will feel that there is a path of national reconciliation in
which their representatives will participate and ensure adequate pluralism
and necessary credibility.
Enforced Disappearances in Syria
• For decades, enforced disappearances have been the
hallmark of the Syrian regime, used as a means to target
thousands of activists and dissidents while keeping their
families in a state of despair and fear. And as Amnesty
International pointed out on its report about the enforced
disappearances in Syria after the uprising “Since the
beginning of the uprising in Syria we’ve seen a dramatic rise
in the authorities’ use of enforced disappearances to
silence opposition and sow fear among the friends and
relatives of the disappeared,”.
• The goal is to "terrorize the society and dry up the
revolution," said Anwar al-Bounni, a veteran defense
lawyer and human rights campaigner in Damascus.
The First Wave
• Enforced disappearances constitute a pillar of Syrian
authoritarianism. The practice increased markedly after the
Baath Party took power in 1963 and declared a state of
emergency, peaking in the 1980s in a period of massive
government crackdowns, known in Syria as Al-Ahdath (“the
Events”). Since 1979, nearly 17,000 people have gone
missing in prisons and interrogation centers. Some sources
claim the number is as high as 25,000. Though
disappearances have been less common in recent years,
the Syrian government continues the practice and has not
made any steps toward reconciliation. Syria is not a
signatory of the International Covenant for the Protection
of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances.
The Second Wave
• Since the Syrian Revolution began in March of 2011, enforced
disappearances have increased exponentially. According to the
Syrian Network for Human Rights, 194,000 individuals have been
arrested in Syria in the last two years and half.
• Of those, the Network estimates that some 40,000 have been
forcefully disappeared. Unfortunately, these numbers are difficult
to verify, in part because families of victims often refuse to speak to
human rights violation investigators out of fear for the lives of their
imprisoned relatives.
• Both political arrests and forced disappearances are at the
forefront of the Syrian regime’s violations of human rights. Indeed,
political arrests by the security branches were, in most cases, a
prelude to the forced disappearances that many Syrians suffered.
Putting enforced disappearances on
the agenda
• To deal with such crisis in the future the interim government have to deal
with it from all aspects, and the civil society here should play a significant
role basically collecting all the info from the families and the government
has to open all its files and agencies for investigation for the families to
able to know the fate of their beloved ones.
• In the same time a law have to pass it about Transitional justice in general
which include the issue of the enforced disappearances and responsibly of
the previous government about it and the right of the families to
reparation.
• For decades, the subject of enforced disappearances has been met with
official indifference and silence. Speaking in public about the details of this
tragedy is not permitted. Syrian authorities have adopted a policy of
hiding the truth instead of offering reparations and justice to the victims.
•
The National Preparatory Committee
for Transitional Justice