Syrian NGO: Mass Grave Near Damascus Holds 100,000 Bodies
Mass Grave in Syria May Hold 100,000 Bodies, Says Syrian NGO
Damascus, Syria – A chilling report from a Syrian NGO alleges that a single mass grave north of Damascus may contain the remains of at least 100,000 people killed by the regime of former dictator Bashar al-Assad.
Mouaz Moustafa, director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, a US-based organization, made the claim in a recent interview with Reuters. He stated that the mass grave, located in the town of Qutayfah, approximately 40 kilometers north of the capital, represents a “conservative estimate” of the number of victims buried there.
“ItS a very,almost unjustly,conservative estimate,” Moustafa emphasized.
According to Moustafa, the Syrian Air Force intelligence branch was responsible for collecting bodies from military hospitals, where victims of torture frequently enough died, and transferring them to intelligence facilities for burial in mass graves.
The Assad regime, both under Bashar al-Assad and his predecessor, Hafez al-Assad, has long been accused by Syrian citizens, human rights organizations, and international governments of carrying out hundreds of thousands of extrajudicial killings, including mass executions within regime prisons.
Human Rights Watch, another prominent human rights organization, has called on Syria’s new authorities to take immediate steps to secure and preserve physical evidence of international crimes committed by the Assad regime.
The organization recently visited a mass grave in the Tadamon neighborhood of southern Damascus, where they discovered dozens of human remains, including teeth, skull fragments, mandibles, hands, and pelvis bones.
“Syrian transitional authorities must take urgent steps to secure and preserve physical evidence throughout the country of grave international crimes committed by members of the previous government,” human Rights Watch stated.
Syria’s Hidden scars: Mass Grave May Hold 100,000 Victims
Damascus, Syria – A haunting revelation from the Syrian Emergency Task Force (SETF), a US-based NGO, suggests a mass grave north of Damascus may contain the remains of up to 100,000 people killed during the rule of former dictator Bashar al-Assad.
Mouaz Moustafa, SETF’s director, claims the site in Qutayfah, located approximately 40 kilometers north of the capital, represents a “conservative estimate” of the number of victims interred there. He alleges the Syrian Air Force intelligence branch was responsible for transporting bodies from military hospitals,where victims of torture often succumbed to their injuries,to intelligence facilities for clandestine burial in mass graves.
This grim revelation adds fuel to long-standing accusations against the Assad regime, both under Bashar al-Assad and his predecessor, Hafez al-Assad. Syrian citizens, human rights organizations, and international governments have repeatedly accused the regime of orchestrating hundreds of thousands of extrajudicial killings, including mass executions within its prisons.
Human Rights Watch, another prominent human rights association, recently investigated a mass grave in Damascus’ Tadamon neighborhood, uncovering dozens of human remains. They urge Syria’s new authorities to act swiftly to secure and preserve evidence of these atrocities. “Syrian transitional authorities must take urgent steps to secure and preserve physical evidence throughout the country of grave international crimes committed by members of the previous government,” human Rights watch stated.