​Light in the Darkness: Syrians ​Look ​Toward a Better​ Future for ​Their ​Country​ and Seek ​Justice for ​Mass ​Atrocity ​Crimes

For nearly 14 years, the Syrian people have suffered mass atrocity crimes as the Syrian regime attempted to silence their demands for a free, democratic and peaceful Syria. While much about Syria’s future remains unknown, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's rapid fall from power this week has provided a glimmer of hope for Syrians that their dreams for the country may be within reach. The work of preserving evidence and pursuing accountability for the Assad regime's heinous crimes has been an epic and heroic years-long battle. Courageous Syrians, at great risk to themselves, documented mass atrocities under the Assad regime and shared the truth with the world. Because of survivors, human rights defenders, defectors, and countless others, we know how the Assad regime systematically attacked civilian populations across the country. We know about the government’s attempts to quash dissent with a system of arbitrary detention, torture, sexual violence, and execution. The US Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide mourns the agony inflicted on the Syrian people, and we share their hopes for a democratic and peaceful future.

Sounding the Alarm about Disappearance, Detention, and Torture

Mansour Omari, a Syrian human rights defender, was detained for almost a year. After his release, he worked to raise awareness of the Assad regime’s use of detention and torture to suppress dissent. He worked with the Museum to create an exhibition, Syria: Please Don’t Forget Us, to share the story of his journey and the plight of those who remained in detention. 82 Names, also follows Mansour’s story and his efforts for genocide and mass atrocity prevention. Watch a video about Mansour’s experience and his work to shine a light into the darkness of Assad’s detention centers: 

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime has starved, tortured, and killed its people. The Syrian government has “disappeared” more than 100,000 civilians into a secret network of prisons. One of the disappeared was Mansour Omari. Mansour and other detainees mixed rust with their own blood to create ink, and used a chicken bone to write the names of 82 fellow prisoners on five scraps of cloth. Mansour smuggled these cloths out of the prison to tell the world about the horrors of these detention centers, and seek for justice for the detainees.

The exhibition also presented a film about Caesar, a military photographer forced to take pictures of detainees killed in custody. Caesar defected from Syria, and smuggled out with him 55,000 images on flash drives hidden in his shoes. One of Caesar’s flash drives was featured in the exhibition along with the cell phone he used to take the pictures that link the Assad regime to the torture and killing of those in custody. 

Caesar also brought these photos to the United States Congress where he testified about the crimes he witnessed and documented. Caesar did all of this despite the great risk to himself and his family so that the world would know about the mass atrocities the Syrian regime was committing.

Mazen al-Hamada, a survivor of detention and torture, shared his story in an effort to halt the crimes and pursue justice. This 2017 film screening of , featured him and Mansour. Mansour and Mazen were two of the approximately 100,000 people who have been detained in Syria, where detainees faced brutal torture and execution. Tragically, Mazen was recently killed in detention in the waning hours of Assad’s rule.

Fadel Abdul Ghany, founder and CEO of Syrian Network for Human Rights, has documented disappearance and detention across Syria. Today, thousands of detainees remain missing.  Families are reeling from the disappearance of their loved ones, and struggling to gather more information about what happened to them under the Assad regime.

Documenting systematic assaults against civilian populations 

Waad al-Kateab, a filmmaker and civilian journalist, documented over 500 hours of footage of bombardment and devastation by the Assad regime and its allies in the city of Aleppo. Her Oscar-nominated film, For Sama, depicted a deeply personal story about the experiences of Syrians, particularly Syrian children, living under siege. The film shows how her husband, Dr. Hamza al-Kaeab, and his team worked under constant threat of attack to save Syrians. The Assad government and its allies targeted hospitals and health workers in its campaign against the civilian population.

In a conflict marked by targeted, massive attacks on civilians and their infrastructure, courageous Syrians risked their lives to rescue others. Members of the Syria Civil Defense—known as the White Helmets—conduct search and rescue operations in response to bombing and gas attacks, and provide essential services to civilians. The Museum honored the White Helmets with its Elie Wiesel Award in 2019—the Museum’s highest honor—in recognition of their bravery to save others.

Syria Civil Defence

The Syrian Emergency Task Force (SETF) and other groups have worked tirelessly to assist civilians displaced from the war and who face a humanitarian crisis. The Simon-Skjodt Center has partnered with SETF each year to solemnly mark the anniversary of the initial uprising in Syria and call attention to the urgency of preventing mass atrocities and seeking justice for these crimes.  

These civil society leaders have done incredible work to move the country forward and lay a foundation for justice and accountability.

Learn more about the Museum’s work on Syria.