Abstract
This article discusses the enactment of Presidential Decree No. 19, enacted by interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, which established the National Commission for the Missing. This body was created in May 2025 and is tasked with researching missing and forcibly disappeared persons, including creating a national database, providing legal and humanitarian support to victims’ families, and documenting cases. The Commission’s findings, however, cannot be used in criminal trials, and the international community, including groups such as Amnesty International, has voiced concerns about its potential ineffectiveness. Following a brief history of conflict under the Assad regime, this article offers an analysis of the decree and the role of the Commission. Additionally, it discusses international legal instruments, such as the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances, and customary international law. Finally, the article compares other post-conflict missing person protocols, such as those in the former Yugoslavia and Argentina.
First Page
167
Recommended Citation
Sara
Jordan
Lost, Never Found: Syria's National Commission for the Missing,
22
Loy. U. Chi. Int'l L. Rev.
167
().
Available at:
https://lawecommons.luc.edu/lucilr/vol22/iss2/3