The Syrian Future Movement expresses its deep appreciation and commendation for the humanitarian initiative that took place in the village of Heish in the southern Idlib countryside on August 30, 2025. This initiative involved planting 500 fig seedlings bearing the names of forcibly disappeared Syrians detained in the prisons of the former Syrian regime, whose fate remains unknown. This initiative coincided with the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, serving as a symbol of steadfastness and determination to commemorate those who sacrificed their freedom for the dignity and freedom of the Syrian people. The Syrian Future Movement believes that this initiative reflects the Syrian community’s commitment to the issue of the forcibly disappeared and emphasizes the need to continue efforts to uncover the fate of more than 181,000 forcibly disappeared persons, as documented by the Syrian Network for Human Rights as of August 30, 2025.
The Syrian Future Movement draws inspiration from this initiative to advance our vision for building a just Syria:
- Commemorating the forcibly disappeared. We call for the promotion of symbolic initiatives, such as planting trees bearing the names of the disappeared, to keep their cause present in the national consciousness. We also see the fig tree, with its symbolism of life and resilience, as a message of hope that the truth will emerge and justice will be served.
- Supporting the families of the disappeared. We reaffirm our commitment to providing psychological and social support to the families of the forcibly disappeared, and we encourage the launch of similar community initiatives that enhance solidarity and provide platforms for demanding truth and justice.
- Promoting transitional justice, as we renew our call to activate the work of the National Commission for Missing Persons, established in May 2025, to ensure the fate of the disappeared is revealed and those responsible for these crimes are held accountable, in accordance with international human rights law.
- Documentation and accountability: The need to strengthen independent documentation efforts on enforced disappearances and cooperate with international organizations to ensure perpetrators do not go unpunished, while emphasizing the importance of protecting evidence and testimonies.
- Inspired by similar experiences, such as the “Memory Park” initiative in Argentina, where trees were planted in memory of victims of enforced disappearance during the military dictatorship (1976-1983), and the “Memory Forest” in Bosnia and Herzegovina, established after the Bosnian War (1992-1995) to commemorate the victims, we believe these experiences confirm that symbolic initiatives play a significant role in preserving collective memory and promoting justice.
- Community participation. We call on all Syrians to participate in similar initiatives, whether by planting trees or launching awareness campaigns, to strengthen national unity and keep the issue of the disappeared a top priority.
The Syrian Future Movement is committed to supporting every effort aimed at achieving justice for victims of enforced disappearance and pledges to the Syrian people to continue working to build a nation that respects human dignity and protects human rights. Let the fig trees planted in Idlib be a symbol of hope and resilience, and a reminder that the will for truth and justice will remain stronger than all attempts at obliteration and oblivion.
