Amid the rubble of the Syrian war and the lives of its unknown victims, new chapters of the tragedy of Syria's Palestinians are unfolding. Leaked documents reveal that injustice does not stop at arrest or torture, but extends to the confiscation of the victims' right to a final farewell and the right of their families to know the truth.
The Zaman al-Wasl website recently revealed leaked official documents about Palestinian-Syrian detainees who died in Syrian regime prisons. Their names were explicitly revealed, exposing the policy of systematic killing and enforced disappearance of Palestinian refugees in Syria.
These documents, both old and new, are not isolated incidents, but rather links in a long chain of systematic crimes, documented by official orders and correspondence. They clearly indicate that what happened was not the result of individual transgressions or random errors, but rather an organized approach adopted by official security agencies with the knowledge of the state.
The first document: Eight Bodies Without a Goodbye
Dated July 21, 2018, and issued by Unit 215 of the Syrian Military Intelligence Directorate, it states that the bodies of eight Palestinian detainees from Yarmouk Camp were handed over to Harasta Military Hospital.
However, what is shocking is that the bodies were handed over without informing their families, nor were they allowed to receive them or even know their burial place. This scene is consistent with the criminal approach revealed in the Caesar photos, in terms of numbering and the inhumane treatment of the victims.
The second document: Three Palestinian brothers died in Saydnaya in complete silence
Dating back to 2013, it documents the martyrdom of the three brothers from the Abbasi family (Maysam, Muhammad, and Ghiath) inside the basements of Saydnaya Military Prison, one of Syria's most terrifying prisons, known as the "human slaughterhouse."
This documented crime is not an exception, but rather a model for dozens, if not hundreds, of Palestinian victims who have disappeared inside regime prisons, most notably Saydnaya, the Palestine Branch, and Mezzeh.
From Two Documents to 30 Palestinian Detainees
New documents reviewed by Marsad and published by human rights sources reveal that the list of Palestinian victims who died in Syrian regime prisons has reached 30 documented detainees by name. This confirms that what happened was not an exception, but rather a systematic policy of killing and enforced disappearance, with their families denied information and the right to farewell.
Legal Conclusion: A Systematic Crime with No Limitation
Despite the differences in time and place, the documents reveal common elements:
- Killing under torture.
- Enforced disappearance of bodies.
- Depriving the victims' families of their most basic rights.
- Administrative documentation of the crime, which constitutes evidence of guilt for the perpetrators.
Under international law, these acts are classified as crimes against humanity, for which there is no statute of limitations, and those responsible must be prosecuted before national and international justice mechanisms.
The Legal and Political Landscape After the Change in Syria
Despite the formation of a new transitional administration and a National Commission for the Missing in Syria, the truth has not yet been fully revealed, nor has justice been served to thousands of Palestinian and Syrian families who are still awaiting accountability for the perpetrators and justice for the victims.
In this regard, the Syrian Palestinians Initiative for Popular Monitoring - "Marsad" emphasizes that acknowledging the crime is not enough. The National Commission for the Missing must cooperate with independent Palestinian authorities and the families of the victims, as well as with the Independent International Commission for Missing Persons in Syria (IIMP) – established by the UN General Assembly in 2023 – expanding its mandate to include Palestinian victims and involving their families in the transitional justice process.
The Absence of Palestinian Representation… A Historic Negligence
To date, neither the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the Palestinian Authority, nor even other factions outside the PLO have formed an official committee to document Palestinian victims in Syria and follow up on their case locally and internationally. We at Marsad consider this a continuing failure that perpetuates marginalization and increases the frustration of the victims' families.
Urgent Demands at Three Levels
Internationally:
- Activate the mandate of international mechanisms to include violations against Palestinians in Syria.
- Involve the victims' families in any transitional justice process.
Syria:
- Ensure that the criminals of Saydnaya, Unit 215, and the Palestine Branch do not escape punishment.
- Include the files of Palestinian detainees in the work of the National Commission for Missing Persons.
Palestinian:
- End the shameful political inaction and disgraceful neglect of the thousands of disappeared victims.
Conclusion: Palestinian blood is no less precious than any other.
The tragedy of the Yarmouk bodies that were not returned, the murder of the Abbasi brothers, and the documented number of victims rising to 30 detainees, all bear witness to an open Palestinian wound that will only heal with truth, justice, and accountability.
Unless the Palestinian voice is raised loudly, the victims will be killed twice: once in prison cells, once in silence.
Documents never die, bodies are never forgotten, and justice, no matter how delayed, never lapses.
Maher Hassan Shawish - Zaman al-Wasl
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