The Department of Legal Affairs at the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) has presented a comprehensive study on the establishment of the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in Syria by the United Nations. This institution, which was approved by the UN General Assembly on June 29, aims to shed light on the fate and whereabouts of missing individuals in Syria and provide support to the victims, survivors, and families affected.
The study highlights that the decision to establish this institution was not made hastily, but rather followed numerous procedures and demands. The urgency was driven by the Assad regime’s detainment and forced disappearance of hundreds of thousands of Syrians, coupled with the documented evidence of brutal torture through Caesar photographs and leaked videos.
Furthermore, the study delves into the resolutions passed by the UN General Assembly on enforced disappearance, the resolutions of the UN Human Rights Council, and the statements made by the International Commission of Inquiry on Syria.
In addition, the study examines various countries’ positions regarding the establishment of a specialized institution to uncover the fate of missing and forcibly disappeared individuals in Syria. It emphasizes that the institution’s establishment and the powers bestowed upon it mark a significant advancement in addressing the issue of detainees and missing persons in Syria. The institution will work towards publicly disclosing the deaths of countless forcibly disappeared individuals, primarily those detained in the Assad regime’s prisons. This disclosure will serve as international condemnation of the regime, paving the way for legal prosecutions and accountability.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
