NAJHA, Syria — In a field south of Damascus, fragments of bones can be seen protruding from the earth, highlighting the presence of mass graves in the area that are thought to contain the remains of tens of thousands who perished during Bashar Assad’s regime. With the potential for a long and challenging journey ahead, residents, forensic experts, and international organizations are faced with the task of uncovering these lost souls.
Stephen Rapp, a former U.S. ambassador-at-large for war crimes, visited the site near Najha, where it is believed that numerous bodies lie buried. He suggested that the number could be in the tens of thousands, with some remains potentially lying beneath an adjacent regular cemetery. However, the commencement of excavation remains premature, and there is uncertainty about how many bodies might still be there or whether some might have been relocated over time. Visible skeletal remains already hint at the horrors that might await discovery, including human vertebrae and femur fragments.
Rapp collaborates with two organizations dedicated to documenting mass graves and identifying those responsible for war crimes—the Commission for International Justice and Accountability and the Syria Emergency Task Force. Over recent years, these groups have employed remote methods to gather witness testimonies and satellite images, aiming to estimate the locations and sizes of mass graves that expanded as a result of brutal crackdowns by Assad’s security apparatus, particularly in the early stages of Syria’s civil war beginning in 2011.
With Assad’s recent ouster, the opportunity to witness these sites up close has emerged. This marks a pivotal chance to verify the extensive evidence of the regime’s systematic extermination campaign. Rapp expressed disbelief about the extent of these atrocities occurring in contemporary times. “It is all so unthinkable that this is happening in the 21st Century,” he remarked.
Mounir al-Mustafa, deputy director of the White Helmets search and rescue team, stated that more than 150,000 Syrians remain missing after being taken into Assad’s prisons. Most of these individuals are presumed to be buried in mass graves scattered throughout the country. Prisons operated by military and security agencies gained notoriety for their inhumane conditions and notorious practices including torture and mass executions, exacerbating the suffering and deaths of inmates.
Reports indicate that the White Helmets have identified at least 13 mass grave sites across Syria, eight of which are located near Damascus, including Najha. Al-Mustafa noted the need for a careful and thorough approach to documenting the mass graves before they can officially be opened. “We can’t open these mass graves yet,” he explained, emphasizing the need for meticulous documentation and identification procedures for the corpses.
As a priority, the focus is on accounting for unidentified bodies that are already above ground, as well as those still in hospital morgues and casualties from armed confrontations. Following his arrival in Syria, Rapp also visited another suspected grave site in al-Qutayfah. He intends to engage with newly appointed transitional government officials to strategize on the means of securing and eventually excavating these sites, analyzing remains for identification, and safeguarding vital documents discovered across various security facilities and prisons.
“There needs to be a process. That is what I will be engaging with government representatives about,” Rapp stated. He further aims to explore how the international community can aid in prosecuting crimes and ensuring adherence to global legal standards.
On Monday, local residents, along with medical teams, took the initiative to commence excavation of a mass grave in the village of Izraa, located in Daraa province. Initial excavations revealed the remains of over 30 individuals, with estimates suggesting that the total number could climb to around 70. Moussa Al-Zouebi, head of the village’s health directorate, reported that some of the recovered remains showed signs of executions, including gunshot wounds to the head and indications of burning.
With the excavator roaring nearby, local forensic experts alongside rebel fighters carefully handled bags containing human remains while families watched closely. Relatives expressed their grief upon discovering that their hopes of finding missing loved ones in prisons had been shattered. “We didn’t find anyone and it broke our hearts. They were burned alive here after being doused in fuel,” recounted Mohammad Ghazaleh at the mass grave site.
The new authorities in Damascus have initiated a hotline for families and former prisoners to aid in locating secret prisons operated by Assad’s regime and to seek information regarding missing individuals. In recent developments, insurgent forces have liberated thousands of detainees in several cities, including Damascus, Aleppo, Homs, and Hama.
Rapp remarked on the understandable desperation of family members clinging to any hope of discovering their missing relatives. However, he cautioned that such actions, although well-intentioned, could potentially hinder ongoing investigations. Rapp stated that the cataloging of documents might take up to three months, while the identification of those buried in mass graves could stretch beyond two years.