A historic visit to the head of the Independent Foundation for missing persons in Syria opens new horizons to search for the truth

On Sunday, Mrs. Kentana concluded her visit to the country at the head of a team from the Foundation. The team, accompanied by international experts in forensic medicine and criminal science and members of the families of the missing, met with the main actors, including the Syrian authorities, families, civil society organizations, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, White Helmets and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

In a statement, Mrs. Kentana said that the new reality in Syria “Blessed Hope” He began to appear opportunities to search for tens of thousands of missing persons, which could not have been imagined before, adding that her team heard repeatedly that “Everyone in Syria knows missing, and we all have a missing person.”

In the context of the visit, Mrs. Kentana met the Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, along with the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs. The team members also met the Minister of Justice and officials of the Syrian Affairs and Population Authority. The independent institution affirmed its appreciation for the cooperation shown by government agencies and openness to discuss the need to coordinate efforts to reveal the fate of the missing.

The visit was not limited to official meetings, but also included field visits to areas that witnessed severe violations, such as Daraya and Al -Tadamun neighborhood, which witnessed widespread destruction and mass exodus. The team also visited the Sednaya prison, known for its atrocities against the detainees, accompanied by Shadi Haroun, from the Sednaya Prison Prison Association, in addition to the Baghdad Bridge Cemetery in the outskirts of Damascus.

Unifying efforts in search of the truth

Mrs. Kentana stressed the need to build confidence so that many can apply to share their stories, as they did during the visit, and she said that the families should be fulfilled to know the truth about what happened to their loved ones. She expressed the commitment of the Foundation to support international and local efforts to determine the fate of the missing persons, stressing that this work must be carried out in parallel with efforts to build a collective memory and enhance early recovery in Syria. She also indicated the importance of the role of the international community in supporting this process with respect, and welcomed the openness of the current authorities towards the issue of missing persons and its recognition.

In the coming weeks, the independent institution will present a project for the authorities to discuss it with officials and families, with the aim of unifying efforts in searching for the truth and helping to reveal the fate of the missing.

It is noteworthy that the independent institution concerned with the missing people in Syria is the only entity that was created specifically to address this issue, and its mandate comes from the United Nations General Assembly, after the tireless efforts of the families of the Syrian missing.