Protesters in Syria Demand Clarity on the Fate of 4 Missing Activists

Protesters held a sit-in in Douma, northeast of the Syrian capital, demanding justice for four human rights activists who were forcibly disappeared after their arrest in 2013, with their fate being one of the most terrifying secrets of the 13-year civil war in Syria. According to the Associated Press, armed men attacked the Documentation Center for Violations in Douma on December 9, 2013, detaining Razan Zaitouneh, her husband Wael Hamada, Samira Khalil, and Nazim Hamadi. Zaitouneh was one of the most well-known human rights activists in Syria, who protested against then-President Bashar al-Assad while also documenting abuses by his opposing militias. The news agency reported that since their abduction, there has been no sign of life or evidence of their death. Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad on December 9 of this year, protests have erupted across Syria, with participants demanding information about the thousands who have been forcibly disappeared under his regime. Amnesty International has stated that victims of 'enforced disappearance' seem to vanish from the earth in the blink of an eye. In such cases, government officials (or individuals acting with the government's consent) abduct the individual from the street or their home and then deny the act or refuse to provide information about the person's fate and whereabouts. Amnesty International noted that such actions are sometimes carried out by non-state armed actors, such as armed groups opposing the government. Enforced disappearance is considered a crime under international law. The new Syrian government, led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has taken a neutral stance regarding accusations against various armed groups for the enforced disappearance of activists, while also aligning itself with the activists' efforts to uncover the truth and seek justice. Yasin Haj Saleh, the husband of Samira Khalil, said at the sit-in on Wednesday, 'We have gathered here to remind the world about their case. This is the first opportunity we have to gather in Douma, in front of the place where they were abducted, and to speak about this case using the political changes in the country.' Saleh stated that they have repeatedly asked various militia groups to cooperate in finding these missing activists but have faced silence from these groups. The Associated Press reported that there are strong leads indicating that the Army of Islam, the most powerful rebel faction in Douma at the time, was responsible for the abduction. This group consisted of religious extremists who imposed strict religious laws but long denied their involvement in the incident. However, one Army of Islam official, Hamza Bayrakdar, told the Associated Press in 2018 that they brought Zaitouneh to Douma to protect her from the Assad government. He added that the Army of Islam has repeatedly held the Assad government and the al-Nusra Front— a group linked to al-Qaeda founded by the current leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham— responsible for his wife's disappearance. Zaitouneh was a prominent human rights lawyer and the founder of the Documentation Center for Violations. She also helped organize networks of activists such as local coordination committees. Her activities earned her global recognition, including the International Women of Courage Award presented by then-First Lady Michelle Obama in 2013. Several individuals who spoke to the Associated Press in 2018 said that the Army of Islam viewed Zaitouneh as a threat due to her documenting abuses and was dissatisfied with her local management plan as an encroachment on their power. Zaitouneh had received threats that friends and other activists said originated from the Army of Islam. In 2018, after the Assad government retook Douma, the Army of Islam was forced to move north, leading to the weakening and fragmentation of the group. Hopes that Zaitouneh and her colleagues would be among the released prisoners at that time were not fulfilled. Today, the Army of Islam remains an armed faction supported by Turkey. This group did not participate in battles against the Assad government alongside other Islamist groups and was still sidelined from Syrian leadership under Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Recently, a delegation from the Army of Islam met with Ahmad al-Shara, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and the current leader of Syria, to discuss integration with the new political system of the country, but no agreement was reached. On Wednesday, protesters held posters of the four missing activists and carried banners that openly accused the Army of Islam, with the word 'Freedom' written in English and the phrase 'The traitor who kidnaps a revolutionary' written in Arabic. Saleh described the situation of the missing individuals as particularly painful, stating, 'For those who die, there is mourning, but the disappeared are deprived of life and mourning.' He emphasized that their bodies must be found, adding, 'Syria needs the rule of truth and justice to improve conditions.' Wafa Mustafa, whose father was separately disappeared in 2013, also participated in the protest. She stated, 'Justice in Syria cannot be limited to those detained by the Assad regime. For years, other groups have controlled parts of Syria and committed similar crimes such as detention, torture, and murder. If justice does not include all victims, it will remain incomplete and threaten the future of Syria.'