A video report by the "Aleppo Today" satellite channel, entitled (Organizing a symposium in Jarabulus under the title "The Lost Between Reality and Hope for the Detainees in Assad's Prisons"):
Missing: between reality and hope
International resolutions and mechanisms
Missing People Foundation
under the auspices of Justice for Peace Organization, a legal awareness seminar titled “The Missing: between Reality and Hope” was held in the city of Jarablus in the countryside of Aleppo. The seminar was attended by dozens of civil society figures including tribes, lawyers, human rights activists, representatives of civil society organizations, and the families of detainees and missing individuals.
The symposium was moderated by two lawyers, Rami Al-Noman, a human rights activist, and Yasser Al-Othman, a member of Justice for Peace Organization. Lawyer Rami Al-Noman provided a brief overview of the Missing Persons Institution, which was approved by the United Nations on June 30, 2023. The institution aims to reveal the fate of missing and detained individuals. Mr. Rami also discussed his recent tour in Europe, during which he held several meetings with representatives of countries to advocate for the issue of missing persons in Syria. He highlighted the role of activists in Europe in prosecuting war criminals and the lawsuits filed in European courts. Additionally, he mentioned the lawsuit filed by Canada and the Netherlands to the International Court of Justice against the Syrian government for violating the Convention against Torture in Prisons. He also touched upon the course of justice in general.
The role of local and international organizations in uncovering the fate of missing and detained individuals was also discussed. Mr. Yasser Al-Othman presented the issue of missing persons from a legal standpoint and emphasized the need to address fraud and exploitation by certain individuals seeking financial gain. He stressed the importance of not waiving the rights of the missing and holding criminals accountable until they receive just punishment. He also mentioned the Special Procedures team responsible for missing persons and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the affairs of the forcibly disappeared, Mr. Madian Al-Ibrahim, the director of the organization in the Syrian interior. Mr. Al-Ibrahim concluded with a brief speech about the organization’s activities and its role in pursuing justice and building peace.
Attendees made the following recommendations:
- Revealing the fate of detainees and expediting the process.
- Establishing pressure mechanisms on those responsible for enforced disappearances.
- Holding criminally accountable the entities that concealed missing individuals.
- Enabling personal lawsuits for families of detainees.
- Establishing communication offices for families of the missing within Syria.
- Exposing mass graves through impartial international human rights committees in collaboration with local organizations.
- Intensifying efforts domestically and internationally to prioritize the issue of missing persons.
- Establishing an international tribunal specialized in cases of missing persons.
The symposium received coverage from Aleppo Today TV channel and local newspapers.