OHCHR / SYRIA

The appointment on Thursday of Karla Quintana as head of the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic is a key development after nearly a year and a half of work by the UN Human Rights Office supporting the institution’s launch.

“UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has flagged how important this moment is in Syria - both for those who are still missing, and for their loved ones,” UN Human Rights office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan.

“Since the fall of former president Bashar Al-Assad’s government, almost two weeks ago, we have seen footage of hundreds of detainees pouring out of now open prisons – some expressing happiness to see sunlight, but others so shocked after years of torture and inhumane treatment that they are incapable of any form of expression,” Al-Kheetan told the UN biweekly briefing in Geneva.

“Many families remain in distress as they haven’t found their loved ones yet,” he said.

“They deserve to have all the answers about their relatives’ fate and whereabouts, and to know the circumstances in which they went missing. They also need mental health and psychosocial support. This is where the work of the institution will be fundamental,” the spokesperson said.

While the Institution will focus on reducing the suffering of families of the missing, our Office and other international mechanisms will work on monitoring and collecting information about past and present human rights violations and abuses, within the scope of their respective mandates.

The High Commissioner is deploying next week a team of human rights officers to Syria to support the existing UN presence on human rights issues, as well as efforts aimed at ensuring that any transition is inclusive and within the framework of international law, Al-Kheetan said.

“Transitional justice and community trust building anchored in human rights will be a very important chapter in Syria’s future,” he said.

It is fundamental that the caretaker authorities take immediate steps to ensure the preservation of evidence of past crimes and violations. This includes mass graves, records and documents from prisons, detention centres, ministries and other state institutions, as well as any other material evidence that could be crucial in documenting what has happened and in holding those responsible to account.

In the meantime, the caretaker authorities must act to ensure security is restored, that those accused of committing crimes are held accountable in compliance with international human rights standards, and that women, children and diverse ethnic and religious communities can fully exercise their rights, the spokesperson said.