Almost 3,000 Syrians 'forcibly disappeared' by regime, activists say

Almost 3,000 Syrians 'forcibly disappeared' by regime, activists say

2011-07-28 21:35:08 GMT+7 (ICT)

DAMASCUS (BNO NEWS) -- Almost 3,000 people have been forcibly disappeared since the unrest began in Syria on March 15, global campaign group Avaaz said on Thursday.

The group, which launched a major campaign to pressure Syria to allow an international delegation to investigate the thousands of disappearances, said the number of enforced disappearances is growing significantly on a daily basis.

"Working with human rights activists in Syria, Avaaz has verified the names of 2,918 Syrians who have been arrested - or potentially killed - by the regime and whose whereabouts are now unknown and has images and the stories of over 100 individuals," the group said in a statement.

Avaaz collaborated with several Syrian human rights organizations to collect the names and photos of each disappearance. The organization will also launch a wall of profiles of missing people on its website, which will include the person's name, age, job, where they lived and details of their disappearance.

Activists have been reporting violent government crackdowns on protesters across the country, including the cities of Aleppo in the west, Deir Ezzor in the northeast, and Douma in the Damascus area. According to human rights groups, more than 1,400 people have died since the unrest began in mid-March and tens of thousands have been arrested.

In mid-March, pro-democracy demonstrations began in Syria and have continued across the country, which has been ruled by the Baath Party since 1963. Protesters are demanding the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad, who took over his father in 2000.

Assad previously said that the recent events in the country are a conspiracy against national unity. The Syrian government has repeatedly claimed that the violent acts have been instigated by terrorists who use military uniforms and weaponry to pose as soldiers while attacking citizens.

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