Syria rights group reports over 112,000 individuals remain forcibly disappeared due to Assad regime News
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Syria rights group reports over 112,000 individuals remain forcibly disappeared due to Assad regime

The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) reported on Saturday that at least 112,414 individuals remain forcibly disappeared due to the actions of the Assad regime in Syria, despite the recent releases of thousands of detainees.

The SNHR emphasized that these disappearances are not isolated incidents but part of a broader strategy employed by the Assad government to instill fear and maintain control over the population. The organization underlined that the families of the missing individuals are left in a state of profound uncertainty and distress, frequently without any information regarding the fate of their loved ones. 

The reported statistic underscores the ongoing human rights crisis in Syria, where the government has employed systematic tactics to silence dissent and eliminate opposition. International human rights organizations have widely condemned the Assad regime, which they claim employed practices of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances.

Internationally, there has been mounting pressure to hold the Assad regime accountable for those who have disappeared. Various governments and organizations have called for investigations into human rights abuses in Syria, yet tangible actions remain limited. The situation is further complicated by geopolitical dynamics, and critics claim conflicting interests among global powers often overshadow humanitarian concerns.

The Syrian conflict began in 2011 as part of the Arab Spring protests but quickly escalated into a civil war. The Assad regime has faced accusations of widespread human rights violations, including torture, extrajudicial killings, and chemical weapon attacks against civilians. The United Nations has documented numerous instances of enforced disappearances and has called for those responsible to be held accountable.

The Assad regime ruled Syria for nearly 50 years until the government was overthrown in 2024. Hafez al-Assad ruled the country from 1971 to 2000, and his son Bashar al-Assad was the president for the next 24 years. With the fall of the Assad regime, international organizations have expressed a critical need for reconstruction, the rule of law, and humanitarian assistance in Syria.

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On December 29, 1170, Archbishop Thomas Becket, former Chancellor of England, was murdered in Canterbury Cathedral by knights acting in the name of Henry II.

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