OHE supports the creation of a mechanism to verify the fate of the missing

Her voice with the calls for the creation of an independent international mechanism that will shed light on the fate of the people who are missing during the war in Syria, was joined on Thursday (11/3) by his High Commissioner UN for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet.

The former president of Chile made statements on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the beginning of the conflict, underlining the pressing problem of missing which “was already worrying before 2011” and the start of the civil war.

This independent mechanism, which will have an international mandate, would have the mission of shedding light on the fate of the missing and their whereabouts, identifying human remains and offering support to their families.

The High Commissioner, who does not have access to the field, estimates that the number of missing “could reach tens of thousands” whether they are being held by government forces throughout Syria or by armed non-governmental organizations.

Bachelet notes that the vast majority of victims are men, which places the burden on women to ensure the daily survival of their families.

But women are also exposed to retaliation when they try to gather information about the missing from the authorities.

“Some people also target these families by offering them information about their relatives or securing their release for money,” she said.

“Violent disappearance is a continuing crime that has a devastating effect on the unfortunate person as well as his family members, causing them a long-term injury and significantly reducing their human rights record,” he added.

“Now that we are going through this tragic stage, I also call on all parties to the conflict, as well as the states that have influence over them, to put an end to arbitrary detentions and violent disappearances, and to ensure that arbitrary detainees are released immediately. freely “he underlined.