Vandalism of Martyrs’ Cemetery in Deir ez-Zor Countryside

Vandalism targeting several graves in the martyrs’ cemetery in al-Kassar caused widespread outrage among locals after video clips circulated online showing the extent of the damage inflicted on the cemetery of fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) who were killed during the war against ISIS mercenaries.

The graves in the cemetery were vandalized, with tombstones broken and many of their features deliberately erased.

Attacks on cemeteries and memorial sites are considered violations of the sanctity of the dead and the feelings of their families, prompting calls to open an investigation into the incident and hold those responsible accountable, in line with principles of respect for human dignity and the protection of burial sites.

Such practices have previously been repeated against cemeteries and martyrs’ memorials in several Syrian regions after the entry of factions affiliated with the Syrian Interim Government, including Afrin, Sheikh Maqsoud, Manbij, al-Shaddadi, Tel Hamis, and Raqqa.

These acts recall the practices once carried out by ISIS militants, who used to destroy graves and shrines under the pretext that they represented “heresy” and were “not part of Islamic traditions.”

ANHA