In Syria, years of conflict have left scars on its people and land. Now, new revelations shed light on atrocities carried out under the regime of former President Bashar al-Assad, writes WP.
These findings uncover a chilling scale of violence and oppression that persisted for years.
Mouaz Moustafa, head of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, reported the existence of a mass grave in Al Qutayfah, about 40 kilometers from Damascus.
According to him, it contains the remains of at least 100,000 victims of Assad’s regime. He called this number a cautious estimate, suggesting the actual figure could be much higher.
Moustafa also noted that other mass graves exist across Syria. The victims include not only Syrians but also citizens from the U.S., Great Britain, and other countries.
Stephen Rapp, former U.S. ambassador for war crimes, has also visited the mass graves in Qutayfah and Najha near Damascus.
He expressed little doubt about the scale of these atrocities. He stated that over 100,000 people were likely tortured to death under Assad’s regime. Rapp described the system as a state-run terror machine.
“This is unlike anything we’ve seen since the Nazis,” Rapp said. He compared the methods to a deliberate and systematic campaign to crush dissent and instill fear.
The atrocities of the Assad regime stand in stark contrast to its dramatic fall earlier this month.
On December 8, a coalition led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) overthrew Assad’s government in a swift 11-day offensive.
Assad and his family fled to Russia, leaving the country in the hands of a transitional government led by Mohamed al-Bashir.
Syria remains deeply scarred by 14 years of war. Millions have been displaced, and 16.7 million people are in dire need of assistance.
The country also faces food shortages, economic decline, and the collapse of infrastructure.
The situation worsens as escalating violence in Lebanon pushes more than half a million refugees into Syria, adding to the country’s humanitarian crisis.
