According to Arab media, the mass grave was found in the Al-Qutayfah area, approximately 25 kilometers north of Damascus. Reports suggest it is one of several mass graves uncovered following the weakening of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Southern Syria has also witnessed similar discoveries, with 12 mass graves found to date. One grave reportedly contained 22 bodies, including women and children, showing evidence of torture and brutal killings.
Muaz Mustafa, head of a U.S.-based organization supporting Syrian victims, stated in an interview with Reuters that conservative estimates suggest at least 100,000 bodies could be buried in the Al-Qutayfah grave. Reuters, however, has yet to verify this claim.
Bashar al-Assad and his father, Hafez al-Assad—who ruled Syria before him—have been accused of extrajudicial killings involving thousands of civilians, including deaths in the country’s notorious prisons.
These discoveries further highlight the ongoing humanitarian tragedy in Syria as mass graves continue to be unearthed.
The New York-based organization has urged Syria’s transitional authorities to protect physical evidence of mass graves and executions across the country to ensure justice for the victims.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Ahmed al-Sharaa, the commander-in-chief of the new administration, vowed accountability. He stated, “Those who committed crimes against the Syrian people or assisted al-Assad in such crimes will face justice.”
HRW’s findings underline the importance of preserving evidence to document human rights violations and hold perpetrators accountable, as calls for justice and reconciliation grow louder amid Syria’s post-war transition.
