Damascus – SANA- Syrian chess champion Rania al-Abbasi, once celebrated for her national and international titles, has become a symbol of the tragedy of enforced disappearance.
Born in Damascus in 1970, she dominated Syrian chess for a decade and represented the country in several Olympiads before her arrest in 2013, along with her husband, six children, and secretary, under the former regime.
Her family’s fate remains unknown, though relatives fear she and her husband died in custody.
Today, hopes rest with the newly formed National Commission for the Missing, established in May 2025 to investigate disappearances and deliver justice for thousands of Syrian families.
Rafah/ Manar
