Mass Graves Near Sednaya Prison Reveal Over 100,000 Victims of Assad's 'Machinery of Death'

Dec 18, 2024, 08:23 PM

In the aftermath of the ousting of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, mass graves containing the remains of thousands of victims have been discovered across the country. An international war crimes prosecutor has stated that evidence from these sites reveals a state-run 'machinery of death' that operated under Assad's regime, estimating that over 100,000 people were tortured and murdered since 2013. The mass graves, found in locations such as Daraa governorate and near the notorious Sednaya Prison, are believed to hold the bodies of those who disappeared during Assad's rule. The discovery of these graves has intensified efforts by authorities and relatives to uncover the fate of the detained and murdered, with some sites indicating systematic killings and the use of torture instruments. The Syrian Civil Defense group, known as the White Helmets, reported finding a mass grave in the Sayyida Zeinab suburb of Damascus, previously a stronghold for Hezbollah and other Assad allies, containing at least 21 corpses.