Press Release
Syrian Opposition Coalition
Department of Media and Communications
August 26, 2024
This week marks the anniversary of the Darayya Massacre, in which the Assad regime killed approximately 700 civilians. The massacre occurred from August 20 to August 26, 2012, in the town of Darayya in the Damascus suburbs, in response to the town’s involvement in peaceful demonstrations demanding freedom and the downfall of the regime.
The Darayya Massacre stands as one of the most egregious war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Assad regime. It began with the siege of the town, followed by relentless shelling of residential neighborhoods and a makeshift hospital, culminating in a ground invasion and mass executions of entire families. The Assad regime forces did not spare families who sought refuge in and around the Abu Suleiman Al-Darani Mosque and on the outskirts of the town, with many bodies subsequently burned to erase their identities.
The SOC reaffirms that the passage of years since these well-documented massacres, supported by ample evidence, will not weaken the Syrian people’s determination to continue their struggle for justice, freedom, and democracy. Nor does it absolve the international community of its responsibility, having allowed the perpetrator to continue committing brutal massacres for many years without achieving justice for the victims and their families, holding those responsible for crimes accountable, or providing the necessary support to realize a political transition in Syria in accordance with UN resolutions 2118 (2013) and 2254 (2015).
