Syrian ‘gravedigger’ reveals identity, exposes Assad regime’s mass killings

DAMASCUS

A Syrian man widely known as the “gravedigger” publicly revealed his identity Sunday, sharing new details of mass killings committed by the ousted regime of President Bashar al-Assad, according to the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

Mohammed Afif Naifeh, a Damascus resident, disclosed his name during a speech at the Arab Conference held at Harvard University in the US. He recounted his testimony, previously delivered to the US Congress and the Syria war crimes tribunal in Germany, the agency reported.

According to SANA, his testimony helped expose systematic crimes committed by the former regime, including the disposal of thousands of torture victims in mass graves, among them children tortured to death.

From 2011 to 2018, Naifeh was tasked with burying victims of torture in mass graves before managing to flee Syria, the agency said.

In his testimony before the US Congress and courts, he described trucks arriving twice a week from military hospitals and security branches. Each truck carried between 300 and 600 bodies of people tortured to death destined for mass burial, he said.

Despite his role in helping to document the atrocities that led to international sanctions against the Assad regime, Naifeh called for those sanctions to be lifted.

He argued that the Syrian people continue to suffer from the economic restrictions, even four months after the regime's fall in December 2024.

He emphasized the need to hold all perpetrators accountable in court for crimes committed against Syrians.

Naifeh’s testimony helped bring global attention to the Assad regime’s abuses alongside evidence provided by Chief Warrant Officer Farid Nada al-Madhhan, a former forensic officer in the Damascus military police known as “Caesar,” who revealed his identity in February this year.

Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party’s regime, which had been in power since 1963.