SNHR Documentation Methodology:
SNHR keeps a comprehensive archive of casualties. It has been keen since the beginning of the Syrian Revolution on documenting and keeping record of all names, photos and videos of casualties in different Syrian governorates through its members throughout Syria.
SNHR adopts three main criteria and a standard mechanism for daily documentation of casualties:
*Statistics published by SNHR are always accompanied by supporting documents including specific and accurate details for each one of the documented cases. These documents are provided for all concerned bodies. It is precisely for that reason that many international organizations around the world have come to rely on SNHR as a main source of information and periodically request updated lists.
*SNHR is strictly concerned with the documentation of civilian casualties because it is extremely difficult to document military casualties particularly among the ranks loyal to the Syrian government be it in the army, secret police or security forces. This has been the case because the Syrian authorities have refused to grant SNHR with work permit. Further, some of our field staff have been arrested. SNHR has no links to the Syrian government. On occasion, we have been able to document some of the casualties among the ranks of the Free Syrian Army by contacting their friends and families. Most of those FSA casualties are civilians who joined its ranks.
*SNHR undertakes documenting most of the massacres committed by the army, security forces and Shabiha militias against civilians. This is the most challenging and complicated task we undertake. Based our documentation of the massacres and the number of casualties in each of them the total number of casualties is documented accurately and objectively.