Looking for Syria’s Disappeared – The New York Instances

Taher al-Zain has come to this hospital within the Syrian capital in the hunt for his father, Mohamed. The lawyer and father of 5 disappeared 12 years in the past and is considered one of tens of hundreds of Syrians who went lacking throughout the nation’s civil conflict. 1000’s of political prisoners have been let out throughout Syria because the regime of President Bashar Al-Assad was overthrown on December 8. Ahmed Abu Seif was considered one of them. As our bodies of those that died in jail are recovered, they’re taken to hospitals across the nation. Taher inspects photographs of the deceased on the wall, searching for an indication of his father. Among the many crowd are supporters of Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, the insurgent group that’s now accountable for a lot of the nation. Taher’s last cease is the notorious Sednaya jail on the outskirts of Damascus. 1000’s of individuals are believed to have been executed and tortured right here over time. Taher and others have come daily to seek for proof of their lacking family members within the scraps of jail paperwork the previous authorities left behind. As Syria enters a brand new and unsure part, the households of the disappeared really feel trapped prior to now. With out solutions, they proceed to search for their family members and for closure.