Riyad Avlar, co-founder of the Association of Detainees and Missing of Sednaya Prison, on trauma, trust and how survivors are active in the fight for justice in Syria.
What is the most challenging aspect of your work at the moment?
One of the biggest challenges we face is the scale and complexity of the trauma among survivors and families affected by detention and enforced disappearance in Syria. We work with survivors of torture and detention, including survivors of sexual violence committed by different parties during the conflict. We also work closely with families who have spent years searching for answers about loved ones who disappeared under the previous Syrian regime.
For many families, the uncertainty itself has become a form of ongoing suffering. They live with unanswered questions about the fate of their relatives while also facing daily economic, social, and legal challenges. At the same time, many survivors carry hidden wounds – deep psychological trauma and long-term physical injuries that affect every aspect of their lives.
Building trust with these communities takes time, patience, and sensitivity. Our role is not only to provide services, but also to support survivors and families in gradually regaining a sense of safety and dignity that was taken from them.
How are you addressing these challenges in practice?
We follow a holistic and survivor-centered approach. We provide psychosocial support, physiotherapy, and case management services for survivors of torture and families of the missing. These services aim to support recovery not only physically and psychologically, but also socially.
Partnerships with international organizations are essential to this work. Through our collaboration with partners such as DIGNITY, we strengthen rehabilitation services and ensure they meet trauma-informed and professional standards. The project also focuses on building the capacity of partner organizations, including training lawyers and practitioners in trauma-sensitive interviewing, particularly when working with survivors of sexual violence.
Equally important is ensuring that survivors are not only recipients of support, but active participants in shaping programs and priorities.
What has made a tangible difference over the past year?
Over the past year, we have seen meaningful progress in reaching survivors and families who previously had very limited access to support. Many lived for years under the control of the former regime and were unable to speak openly about the violations they experienced.
Following the regime’s fall, we provided emergency support to newly released survivors, including financial assistance, medical referrals, and psychosocial services. Through our Family Center program and other mental health initiatives, survivors are beginning to receive the rehabilitation they urgently need.
Another important development is the growing role of survivors themselves. Increasingly, survivors are becoming active in advocacy and peer support networks -helping others who have gone through similar experiences and raising awareness about detention, torture, and enforced disappearance.
What gives you hope for 2026 in your work, and why?
What gives me hope first and foremost is the resilience of the survivors and families we work with. Despite everything they have endured – detention, torture, and the loss of their loved ones – many continue to support one another and persist in demanding truth and justice. Their determination not to remain silent is a powerful source of inspiration.
Survivors who receive psychological, physical, and social support are increasingly able to rebuild their lives and support others in similar situations.
Finally, I have great confidence in the families of the missing. Their continued demand for truth and accountability is unwavering. This persistence gives us hope that the work we are doing today will contribute to a more just future – and help ensure that such violations are not repeated.
