BY: wikimedia.org/Magnus Back
In December 2020, the German Foreign Ministry released its annual Syria situation report. The German Foreign Ministry does not issue the full text of the report to the public. We have reviewed articles citing the report in several German newspapers, including the Der Tagesspiegel, which stated that, according to the report’s findings, serious violations of human rights are still part of daily life in Syria. The foremost of those violations are arbitrary arrests, mass torture and executions.
The report was based on several key sources, most notably:
1. United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry (COI).
2. Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR).
3. Human Rights Watch.
The report notes that: “By August 2020, the number of missing persons in Syria had reached 148,000 persons according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, the number of missing persons had increased by 4,000 compared to 2019, and the Syrian regime is responsible for 90% of cases.” The report also affirms that: “Between 14,000 and 17,000 persons have died due to torture.”