As Syrian families struggle with missing loved ones, Assad's government figures reemerge
The renewed public prominence of former government supporters has deepened the anguish of victims' families, particularly those still waiting for information about missing relatives.
For nearly 15 years, Hussein al-Tawil and his family have been waiting for information about their brother Ali Ahmad al-Tawil, who disappeared in Damascus in 2011. The family believes that Ali was taken by militias loyal to the former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. When Assad's government fell, they hoped Ali might have been released from prison or that new records would reveal his fate.
However, they found no trace of him, not even a death certificate or official explanation. Now, as Hussein waits, he sees former Assad supporters reemerging in public life, seeking proximity to Syria's new authorities. This raises the question of how Syria can achieve national reconciliation when so many families still do not know what happened to their loved ones.
Hussein's family hopes for transitional justice and accountability, but they fear that networks established under Assad could survive by shifting allegiance to the new leadership. Syrian political activist Jubair al-Sukkari argues that the return of individuals associated with Assad to economic, political, and public life has not produced the deeper changes many Syrians expected.
He criticizes the appointment of figures with a Baathist background to roles in transitional justice and historical memory preservation, questioning the fairness of these appointments. The impact of these individuals' return on victims' families and the pursuit of justice remains a contentious issue in Syria.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
