Assad Regime Erased Mass Grave to Hide Killings: Reuters

The government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has secretly excavated and moved one of the mass graves near Damascus in order to destroy evidence of the murders of thousands of people. This is according to a Reuters investigation, which reveals a systematic attempt by the Syrian authorities to cover up war crimes.

At the heart of the investigation is an area near the town of Najha, where, according to witness testimonies and human rights organizations, two mass graves were located. It is believed that thousands of people who died or were executed in detention centers controlled by government forces are buried here, including the infamous Sednaya prison, known as the "human slaughterhouse."

Satellite images obtained and analyzed by Reuters show that the area of the cemetery has undergone significant changes. What previously appeared as a distinct burial site was later leveled, and new buildings have appeared in some sections. These actions, according to experts, were aimed at exhuming the bodies and moving them to an unknown location, thus making future forensic examinations and victim identification impossible.

The investigation is based not only on satellite data but also on information from numerous sources. Journalists spoke with gravediggers, former Syrian intelligence officers, and local residents who confirmed that the area was used as a burial site for thousands of people. Their testimonies describe how trucks brought bodies at night and buried them in pre-dug trenches.

According to human rights defenders, this systematic destruction of evidence is a crime in itself, aimed at evading justice. It not only hinders the reconstruction of the full picture of the Assad regime's crimes but also deprives thousands of families of the missing of their last hope of learning the truth about the fate of their relatives and giving them a proper burial.