Search for missing people in Syria – The New York Times

Taher al-Zain came to this hospital in the Syrian capital to look for his father, Mohamed. The lawyer and father of five disappeared 12 years ago, one of tens of thousands of Syrians who have gone missing during the civil war. Thousands of political prisoners have been released across Syria since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime on December 8. Ahmed Abu Seif was one of them. The bodies of those who died in prison are being recovered and transported to hospitals across the country. Taher looks at the photos of the deceased on the wall, looking for traces of his father. Among the crowds were supporters of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the rebel group that now controls most of the country. Taher’s final destination is the infamous Sednaya prison on the outskirts of Damascus. It is believed that thousands of people have been executed and tortured here over the years. Taher and others came every day, searching for evidence of their missing loved ones in fragments of prison documents left behind by the previous government. As Syria enters a new and uncertain phase, families of the missing feel trapped in the past. When there are no answers, they continue to search for their loved ones and find closure.