A burly bearded man in a blue tunic moved swiftly through grassy stubble on a windswept road in rural Damascus, collecting bones with his bare hands.
He added a jaw to the pile, before gently picking up a skull. This moment of tenderness highlights the tragic toll of Bashar al-Assad's regime. Ten months after Assad was ousted from power in December 2024 due to a swift rebel advance, mass graves continue to surface across the region.
The Syrian dictator's legacy is embedded in the soil here, with skeletal remains found where crops should thrive. Over 60 grave sites have been identified thus far, including a recent discovery in al-Otaiba village, near Eastern Ghouta, where a shepherd unexpectedly found human remains.
It is believed that as many as 175 bodies were dumped into a single mass grave in this former opposition bastion. These remains are part of a larger tragedy, with more than 181,000 individuals forcibly disappeared or arbitrarily detained during the 14 years of Syria's civil war—about 90% of whom were taken by the Assad regime, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights.
The families of the missing are now pushing for justice from the new Syria, which has just conducted its first parliamentary election, albeit with questions of legitimacy surrounding the process. Amidst a perceived sham or the first step toward democracy, interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has asserted that addressing the cases of the missing remains a national priority.
Amidst despair, individuals like Kasim Hamami dig for clues in the soil, hoping to unearth remnants of their lost loved ones. Recently, Kasim discovered a frayed jumper that belonged to his missing brother Samer. He recounts Samer's disappearance, emphasizing that he was an innocent civilian caught in a conflict that spiraled out of control.
Searching for answers, bereaved relatives gather at Truth Tents—community forums aimed at sharing their harrowing experiences. Many women, including an 18-year-old named Bisan, opened up about the trauma of losing family members to the regime's security forces.
Calls for accountability resound within these gatherings, with some demanding the execution of Bashar al-Assad, blaming him for the systematic annihilation of innocent lives. Yet, the newly formed National Commission for Missing Persons is reportedly under-resourced and struggling to address the overwhelming number of cases.
As time goes on, relatives are left hoping for truth and justice, with many now sharing their stories without the fear that once silenced them.
