“The Gravedigger” reveals his identity (Mohammad Afif Naifeh)

Damascus, SANA- “The Gravedigger,” whose testimonies before the U.S. Congress, along with the photos leaked by “Caesar” (Farid al-Madhhan), exposed the crimes of the former regime to the world, has revealed his identity for the first time as “Mohammad Afif Naifeh.”

Naifeh introduced himself during an intervention at the Arab Conference held at Harvard University in the United States, stating that he is a resident of Damascus. He spoke about his testimonies presented before the U.S. Congress and the “Syrian war crimes tribunal” in Germany, which helped expose the crimes committed by the former regime against detainees. These crimes included the disposal of thousands of bodies in mass graves, including children who were tortured to death.

Naifeh called for the lifting of economic sanctions on Syria, which his testimonies had contributed to imposing on the former regime due to its crimes. He pointed out that the Syrian people continue to suffer from these sanctions, despite four months having passed since the regime’s fall. He also emphasized the need to bring all perpetrators of crimes against Syrians to justice.

Naifeh had been responsible for burying victims of torture in mass graves between 2011 and 2018, before eventually managing to leave Syria.

In his testimonies before the U.S. Congress and courts, he described trucks arriving twice a week from security branches and military hospitals, each carrying between 300 and 600 bodies of individuals who had been tortured to death, including children, to be buried in mass graves.

The testimonies of “The Gravedigger,” along with thousands of photos leaked by “Caesar” (First Sergeant Farid al-Madhhan), the head of the forensic documentation office of the Military Police in Damascus, brought the atrocities of the former regime against Syrians who revolted against it to the attention of the entire world. This ultimately enabled the Syrian people’s revolution to overthrow this brutal regime and end the darkest chapter in Syria’s history.

Edited by: Jomaa al-Jasem

Translated by Manar/Ruaa al-Jazaeri