10 February 2025

Karla Quintana, head of the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in Syria, concluded on Sunday her first visit to Syria. 

The visit of the Independent Institution, created by the relentless efforts of Syrian families of the missing, would have been previously unthinkable. Two months into a new and hopeful reality for Syria, opportunities are emerging to search for the tens of thousands of missing persons and to embark on a path toward truth. Throughout the visit, the team was repeatedly told: “Everyone in Syria knows someone who is missing. We all have someone missing.”

The Independent Institution team, together with international forensic specialists and family members of missing persons, met with key actors, including Syrian authorities, families, civil society organizations, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, the White Helmets, and the International Committee of the Red Cross. 

Quintana met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, as well as the Deputy Foreign Minister for Humanitarian Affairs. Team members also met with the Minister of Justice, the Deputy Minister of Justice, the Attorney General and the head of the Syrian Commission for Family Affairs and Population. The Independent Institution is grateful for their cooperation and frank discussions, which included the need to coordinate efforts among relevant actors working on this issue and the Institution’s future role and engagement in Syria.

During this initial visit, the Independent Institution also went to Darayya and Tadamon—places marked by devastation, destruction, and profound suffering, where atrocities led to the forced displacement of tens of thousands of families. The Institution went to the infamous Sednaya prison accompanied by Mr. Shadi Haroun, from the Association of Detainees and Missing Persons of Sednaya Prison. It also saw the Baghdad Bridge burial site in the suburbs of Damascus. 

It is essential to grasp the magnitude of the tragedy after more than 50 years of regime rule including 14 years of war, both marked by serious human rights abuses. Knowing who the missing are in this context must be the first step toward truth and a lasting peace. To this end, trust-building is crucial so that many others will come forward to share their stories, as they did during this visit. As the women in Darayya expressed, “No one had ever listened to us before. This is the first time someone has asked about our missing loved ones.”

During the meetings, the Independent Institution heard the testimonies of dozens of families—their struggles to find their loved ones and their concerns. Families’ right to know the truth about what happened to their loved ones must be fulfilled.

Quintana highlighted the Institution’s role in supporting international cooperation efforts and working alongside government and local groups, ensuring that the country’s future is shaped, first and foremost, by the people in Syria. This work must be done across the country to support Syrians in building a shared memory and fostering early recovery. The international community has an obligation to accompany this process respectfully.

The Independent Institution welcomes the current authorities’ openness towards and acknowledgment of missing persons. As the only entity specifically established to address missing persons in Syria, it offers to support these efforts by providing specialized technical expertise in several areas to help determine the fate and whereabouts of all missing persons.

In the coming weeks, the Independent Institution will present a project to the authorities for discussion with both officials and families, to help in the collective efforts to know the fate and whereabouts of the missing and to help open a path to truth.

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For more information and media requests: 

Please contact: iimp-syria@un.org 

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