The Syrian Future Movement is following with interest the briefing given to the United Nations General Assembly regarding the issue of missing persons in the Syrian Arab Republic. The Independent Institution for Missing Persons in Syria confirmed that this issue remains one of the most painful and complex humanitarian crises, that thousands of Syrian families are still waiting to learn the fate of their loved ones, and that uncovering the truth is a fundamental pillar of transitional justice and national reconciliation.
The Syrian Future Movement believes that the issue of missing persons is not merely a human rights or humanitarian issue, but a national issue par excellence, touching the conscience of the entire Syrian society. Hardly a Syrian family is without a missing, detained, or unaccounted-for member, a consequence of decades of oppression and tyranny, followed by years of war and the accompanying arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and kidnappings perpetrated by various parties.
The movement affirms that building a new Syria cannot be complete without uncovering the truth, providing justice for the victims, and enabling families to learn the fate of their loved ones. Justice is not revenge, but a fundamental right, and the truth is the foundation upon which trust between the state and society is built, and upon which sustainable national reconciliation is established.
The Syrian Future Movement also emphasizes that the responsibility for addressing this issue rests primarily with the Syrian state, in cooperation with relevant national and international institutions, in a manner that preserves national sovereignty and guarantees the families’ right to access the truth, free from any political exploitation of their suffering.
The movement believes that the current stage necessitates the urgent protection of all documents, records, and evidence related to detainees and missing persons, securing the archives of security institutions and prisons, and preventing their tampering with or destruction, given their legal, historical, and humanitarian value in revealing the fate of thousands of Syrians and supporting transitional justice and accountability efforts.
The movement also emphasizes the importance of employing modern technologies, databases, genetic testing, and forensic science in search and identification processes, which contributes to expediting results and preserving the dignity of victims and the rights of their families.
The Syrian Future Movement recommends the following:
- Expediting the completion of the work of national institutions specializing in missing persons cases and providing them with the necessary human and technical resources.
- Protecting all archives, documents, and records related to detainees and missing persons, preventing their destruction or tampering, and ensuring their professional preservation and documentation.
- Strengthening cooperation with the independent institution concerned with missing persons in Syria and relevant international bodies, in a manner that serves to uncover the truth and respects national sovereignty.
- Establishing a unified national database for missing persons, based on the highest scientific and technical standards and integrated with DNA databases.
- Providing psychological, social, and legal support to the families of missing persons and involving them in the search and truth-seeking processes.
- Revealing the fate of the missing is an integral part of the transitional justice process, contributing to the consolidation of civil peace and national reconciliation.
The Syrian Future Movement believes that nations are not built on forgetting, but rather on truth, justice, and equity.
The right of every Syrian family to know the fate of their son or daughter remains an inalienable right that does not expire with time. The issue of the missing will remain a national, moral, and humanitarian responsibility until the truth is revealed, dignity is preserved, and this wound is healed in a manner befitting the sacrifices of the Syrian people and their aspirations for building a state of law and institutions.
