A satellite image shows, what a U.S. advocacy group calls a mass grave, in Al Qutayfah, Syria October 15, 2022. Maxar Technologies/Google/Handout via REUTERS
Allegations of Mass Graves Near Damascus Raise Concerns About Human Rights Abuses
The head of a U.S.-based Syrian advocacy group claimed on Monday that a mass grave outside Damascus contains the bodies of at least 100,000 people allegedly killed by the former government of ousted President Bashar al-Assad.
Mouaz Moustafa, the head of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, told Reuters in a phone interview from Damascus that the site, located in al-Qutayfah, approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of the Syrian capital, is one of at least five mass grave locations identified over the years.
“One hundred thousand is the most conservative estimate of the number of bodies buried at the site,” Moustafa said. “It’s a very, very extremely almost unfairly conservative estimate.”
Allegations of Systematic Killings and Mass Graves
Moustafa asserted that the victims included not only Syrians but also U.S., British, and other foreign nationals. He further claimed that the total number of mass grave sites across Syria could be far greater than those identified so far.
Reuters was unable to independently verify Moustafa’s allegations.
The Syrian conflict, which began in 2011 after President Assad’s crackdown on peaceful protests escalated into a civil war, has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. Over the years, multiple reports from rights groups and governments have accused Assad’s regime of carrying out systematic extrajudicial killings, including mass executions in notorious prisons across the country.
Assad has repeatedly denied accusations of human rights violations, dismissing his critics as extremists.
Details of the Alleged Mass Grave
Moustafa, who recently returned to Syria after Assad fled to Russia and his government collapsed under a rebel offensive, shared specific claims about the site. He said the Syrian air force intelligence branch was responsible for transporting bodies from military hospitals—where prisoners allegedly died after torture—to mass grave sites.
“From military hospitals, where bodies were collected after they’d been tortured to death, they would be sent to different intelligence branches and then transported to a mass grave location,” Moustafa explained.
He further alleged that personnel from the Damascus municipal funeral office assisted in unloading the bodies from refrigerated tractor-trailers at these sites.
Moustafa’s organization has gathered testimonies from individuals forced to work at the sites, including bulldozer operators who were compelled to dig graves and compress the bodies to fit them into smaller spaces before covering them with earth.
Concerns Over Evidence Preservation
Expressing concern for the integrity of the alleged mass grave sites, Moustafa emphasized the urgent need to secure them to preserve evidence for future investigations. “We were able to talk to the people who worked on these mass graves who had escaped Syria or whom we helped escape,” he noted.
Without proper safeguarding, Moustafa fears crucial evidence could be lost, undermining accountability efforts.
International Response and Unanswered Questions
Syria’s current U.N. ambassador, Koussay Aldahhak, has not publicly addressed the allegations. While Aldahhak, who assumed his role before Assad’s ouster, stated last week that he was awaiting instructions from Syria’s new authorities, he reiterated his commitment to “defending and working for the Syrian people.”
The claims made by Moustafa, including the scale of the mass grave and details of its operation, underscore the persistent calls for accountability over alleged war crimes committed during the Assad regime’s 50-year rule.
As the conflict’s aftermath unfolds, questions surrounding justice, reconciliation, and the preservation of evidence remain critical to addressing the humanitarian toll of Syria’s civil war.
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