Commission for Missing Persons probes suspected burial site in eastern Aleppo

What happened

The National Commission for Missing Persons, in coordination with relevant authorities, responded last Tuesday to residents' reports of a suspected site containing human remains in the town of Aisha in the eastern Aleppo countryside. The commission carried out an initial field assessment to identify the technical, logistical and legal requirements for a response and to prepare measures that comply with professional and legal standards while ensuring evidence protection and preserving the dignity of potential victims.

Context and next steps

In a statement on its Telegram channel the commission said such reports are handled through a humanitarian and professional approach that respects families’ right to know the truth, and that coordination with relevant authorities aids efforts to determine the fate of missing persons and maintain the integrity of documentation and verification procedures. The statement noted that since the liberation of Syria from the ousted regime authorities have discovered mass graves in several areas containing remains of hundreds killed during the years of the revolution, and the assessment in Aisha is a preparatory step toward any necessary forensic work, as reported by SANA