Syria: Up to 300,000 People 'Disappeared' in the Last 55 Years

At least 300,000 people have disappeared in Syria since 1970, according to the Syrian Committee for the Missing. The investigation begins from the time Hafez al-Assad, father of Bashar, took power until today.

The committee estimates that the number of disappeared ranges between 120,000 and 300,000, possibly higher. Tens of thousands were arrested or disappeared after the outbreak of the civil war in 2011.

During the war, all sides were accused of atrocities. Bashar al-Assad was overthrown in December 2024 by a coalition of Islamist rebel groups.

A map records more than 63 mass graves in Syria, and efforts are being made to create a database for the missing. Thousands of prisoners were released after the fall of Assad, but many Syrians continue to search for their relatives.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has registered and is searching for 43,000 people, a number considered smaller than the total number of missing. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, over 100,000 people died in detention due to torture or dire conditions.