Hevdesti Associations launch platform for families of missing persons in Syria

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – On Thursday, the "Hevdesti" Synergy Associations for Victims launched a new platform for the families of missing persons in northern and eastern Syria.

The initiative aims to enhance the active participation of victims and families of missing and forcibly disappeared individuals in efforts to uncover the truth and achieve justice, contributing to comprehensive and sustainable peace in Syria.

Abbas Moussa, the platform's coordinator, explained that the establishment of the platform is rooted in the significant role played by Syrian families, associations, and victim and survivor groups in recent years concerning detainees, forcibly disappeared, and missing persons in the country.

In an interview with Kurdistan24, Moussa emphasized that the platform “does not represent an entity in itself, but rather a space for coordination and exchange of information and experiences.”

He highlighted that the idea emerged during consultations organized by the association with families of missing and forcibly disappeared individuals in northern and eastern Syria throughout 2023.

These consultations underscored the necessity of continuing to lead efforts aimed at revealing the fate of their loved ones and ensuring their active participation in decision-making.

Coordination between the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in Syria (IIMP) and other relevant institutions is crucial for making progress on this issue, Moussa noted. The Synergy platform aims to support its members by facilitating consultations and activities, providing technical and advisory support, and developing plans and policies.

This effort is part of the association's commitment to uncovering the fate of the missing and forcibly disappeared, supporting their families, and seeking truth and justice in collaboration with partners in the "Charter of Truth and Justice" and Syrian civil society.

Synergy Associations for Victims, a non-governmental, non-profit organization, was founded on March 11, 2021. It aims to provide a platform for victims to represent themselves and claim their rights, seeking justice for conflict victims in North and Northeastern Syria and participating in the process of accountability and justice.

The association is a part of the “Truth and Justice Charter,” which strives to uncover the truth, ensure justice for detainees and the forcibly disappeared, and hold violators accountable as a cornerstone for achieving lasting peace in Syria.

Comprising victims and human rights defenders, the Synergy team includes researchers, investigators, editors, data reviewers, legal advisors, and a visual verification expert.

The association adopts a societal organizing approach to empower victims and survivors, involve them in building plans and policies, and implement activities aimed at achieving accountability and justice.

Synergy’s strategy focuses on the experiences, perspectives, and priorities of victims and survivors through continuous dialogue and learning from other justice and accountability processes.