Damascus, Feb.02 (SANA) The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) on Monday called for holding those responsible for the 1982 Hama massacre accountable, stressing that justice for the victims is essential to Syria’s future.
In a report marking the 44th anniversary of the massacre, the network said the fall of the defunct Assad regime on Dec. 8, 2024, opened a new phase based on justice and the rule of law, but warned that lasting stability requires confronting past violations and prosecuting those responsible.
The SNHR described the Hama massacre as one of the most brutal episodes in modern Syrian history. In February 1982, regime forces led by Hafez al-Assad launched a nearly month-long assault on the city, imposing a total siege, cutting basic services and carrying out indiscriminate shelling, summary executions, mass arrests and torture.
Entire historic neighborhoods were destroyed, and properties were confiscated, some later built over sites believed to contain mass graves.
According to the report, between 30,000 and 40,000 civilians were killed and about 17,000 others forcibly disappeared, leaving deep and lasting trauma across generations. The network stressed that these acts amount to crimes against humanity that are not subject to a statute of limitations.
The report said the ousted regime systematically denied the massacre, portraying it as a campaign against “terrorists,” while suppressing any investigation, accountability or public commemoration for more than four decades. It added that the absence of an effective international response, including a lack of decisive action by the UN Security Council, reinforced a culture of impunity that enabled further violations.
Following the fall of the regime, public discussion of the massacre has become possible, with 2025 witnessing the first official commemoration, the network said. Families have also begun seeking information about the fate of their disappeared relatives through official channels.
The SNHR encouraged the Syrian government to recognize the Hama massacre as a crime against humanity, designate Feb. 2 as a national day of remembrance, and establish an independent national investigative commission with the authority to document crimes, identify those responsible and recommend prosecutions and reparations.
The network said it stands ready to support justice efforts, stressing that confronting the past is indispensable for building a stable and just Syria, and that the time for accountability has come.
R.H
