Ainb Baladi Bias n/a Not yet scored Mezze Airport... An economic investment colliding with the legacy of the disappeared and land rights
Al-Arabi al-Jadeed Bias n/a Not yet scored Plans to develop a Syrian airport raise concerns about mass graves and land ownership rights
Al-Jazeera Net Bias n/a Not yet scored Development of Mezzeh Airport in Damascus faces challenges... demands for seized lands and human rights warnings
Al-Jazeera Net Bias n/a Not yet scored Hanging ropes under the landing ramps.. What does Damascus-Mazze airport hide?
Al-Telvzyon Al-Arabi Bias n/a Not yet scored Beyond potential execution sites, Mazzeh Airport redevelopment plans raise concerns in Syria
Annahar Bias n/a Not yet scored In the era of the toppled President Bashar al-Assad and his father Hafez al-Assad, Mazzah airport included major branches of the air force intelligence, along with several detention facilities where those believed to be opponents were subjected to torture, execution, and enforced disappearance. Parts of the air base were used for presidential and official flights. Documents from the air force intelligence obtained recently by the Syrian Center for Justice and Accountability—a US-based rights organization led by Syrians—and provided exclusively to Reuters show that senior Syrian military officials approved in 2012 using Mazzah airport as a site to carry out executions of detainees who had been sentenced to death by military field courts. One document proposed transferring the execution of sentences from Sednaya Prison to Mazzah airport, described as a “closed security complex” near Damascus. Later correspondence revealed that a firing range and then a neighboring aircraft hangar to the runway were being considered as potential sites for carrying out executions. These documents highlight the pivotal role Mazzah Airport played within the Assad-era security apparatus, showing that officials ordered the creation of a platform inside one of the hangars, bringing nylon ropes, and conducting the executions under air force intelligence supervision, with emphasis on maintaining “the utmost secrecy.” A 2025 investigation by the Syrian Center for Justice and Accountability located two sites suspected to be mass graves connected to people who died in custody at Mazzah airport, noting that more than 1,150 detainees died there, some by execution and others from torture or abuse. In a July 2025 letter reviewed by Reuters, the center provided the National Center for Missing Persons in Syria with coordinates of two locations believed to be graves inside the airport, urging authorities to halt any construction or digging until investigations are completed. The center told Reuters that the National Missing Persons stated at that time that there were no plans to carry out construction or redevelopment at Mazzah airport. In a second letter reviewed by Reuters, dated September 8 following the redevelopment plans’ appearance, the Syrian Center for Justice and Accountability warned that digging, clearing debris, or any other activities could damage human remains and the evidence needed to identify the dead. The center told Reuters it had not yet received a response to its second letter. Amer Matar, founder of Syria’s Prison Museum—a Germany-based NGO documenting detention facilities including those at Mazzah—said the planned works demonstrate a lack of respect for Syrian families still seeking answers about the fate of relatives detained during the Assad era. Matar told Reuters, “Building a commercial airport on a site that may contain mass graves, without a comprehensive prior investigation, without protecting the site, without searching for the missing and their remains, and without preserving the evidence, is a reckless act and shows extreme disregard.” SANA quoted the Civil Aviation Authority spokesperson as saying that renewing Mazzah airport would take into account the surrounding urban fabric and related legal and social considerations, but did not specify the graves or land ownership rights, and it remained unclear which entity would develop the airport. Residents protest over land claims The land on which airport facilities were built has a long history of dispossession. Under Assad, private lands were often seized for government projects, usually without compensation. Land records from the town of al-Ma’mudah, seen by Reuters, show that Mazzah airport was built on land owned by hundreds of ordinary citizens across an area of 2.76 square kilometers. A former town official told Reuters that expropriation decrees retrospectively justified the government’s use of the land for the airport’s construction in 1956, and compensation was not paid. Residents organized a demonstration in al-Ma’mudah a day after the redevelopment plans were announced. One protest organizer, who gave his name as Abu Khaled, said, “We welcome investment, but we must sit at the negotiating table and discuss our share with the investors, not with the state… we have a documented right to this land.” This dispute comes as Syria faces calls to address property confiscation under the Assad era. On September 2, UN land rights experts urged the Syrian government to suspend and repeal laws that they said systematically permitted property seizure under Assad, and to either establish mechanisms to restore properties to rightful owners or provide adequate compensation.
Daijiworld Bias n/a Not yet scored Syria airport redevelopment plan sparks fears over mass graves
Euronews Bias n/a Not yet scored Turning Mezze Airport into a private aviation hub… an investment move or an attempt to erase the traces of mass graves?
Global Banking & Finance Review Bias n/a Not yet scored Syrian Airport Redevelopment Raises Outcry Over Mass Graves, Rights
Internazionale Bias n/a Not yet scored Syrian private airport plans spark outcry over mass graves, land rights
Mid East Online Bias n/a Not yet scored During the eras of the deposed President Bashar al-Assad and his father Hafez al-Assad, Mazzah Airport housed major branches of the Air Intelligence Division, as well as detention facilities used to arrest people suspected of opposing the regime, some of whom were subjected to torture, execution, and enforced disappearance. Parts of the airbase were also used for presidential and official flights. Documents from the Air Intelligence obtained recently by the Syrian Center for Justice and Accountability, a human rights NGO led by Syrians and based in the United States and seen exclusively by Reuters, show that senior Syrian military officials approved in 2012 the use of Mazzah Airport as a site to carry out executions of detainees who had been sentenced by military field courts. One document included a proposal to transfer execution of sentences from Saidnaya Prison, one of Syria’s most controversial prisons at the time, to Mazzah Airport as a “closed security complex” located near the capital. Subsequent correspondence indicates exploring the use of a shooting range and then a nearby aircraft hangar to serve as two potential sites for executing executions. These documents highlight the central role Mazzah Airport played within the security apparatus during the Assad era, showing that officials ordered the creation of a platform inside one of the hangars, provision of nylon ropes, and execution of the tasks under the supervision of the Air Intelligence with emphasis on maintaining the utmost secrecy. In a 2025 investigation by the Syrian Center for Justice and Accountability, two locations suspected to be mass graves linked to people who died while being held at Mazzah were identified. The center said more than 1,150 detainees died at the airport, some due to execution, others due to torture or ill-treatment. In a July 2025 letter, the center provided the National Organization for Missing Persons in Syria with coordinates of the two sites believed to be graves inside the airport and urged authorities to halt any construction or digging until investigations are completed. The center told Reuters that the National Organization for Missing Persons informed it at the time that there were no plans to carry out construction or redevelopment at Mazzah Airport. But after redevelopment plans emerged, the center sent a new letter on September 8, warning that digging, rubble removal, or any other activity could damage human remains and the evidence that might be needed to identify the dead. Amer Matar, founder of Syria’s Prison Museum, a Germany-based NGO that documents detention facilities including those at Mazzah, said the redevelopment plans reflect, in his view, a lack of respect for Syrian families still seeking answers about the fate of relatives detained under the Assad regime. Matar told Reuters that establishing a commercial airport at a site that may contain mass graves, without a thorough prior investigation, site protection, missing-persons and remains search, or preservation of evidence, represents a move of “carelessness and extreme disregard.” The General Authority of Civil Aviation, the National Organization for Missing Persons, or the Ministry of Defense, which operates the airport, did not respond to Reuters’ questions about suspected graves or land ownership claims. SANA quoted the Civil Aviation Authority spokesperson as saying that renewing Mazzah Airport would consider the surrounding environment and relevant legal and social considerations, but did not specifically mention the suspected graves or land ownership claims. It remains unclear who will develop the airport. Concerns about the project extend beyond the security legacy of the airport, as the dispute over land ownership on which its facilities were built dates back decades. Under Assad’s rule, private lands were frequently expropriated for government projects, often without compensation to their owners. Land records from the Atareb municipality, reviewed by Reuters, showed Mazzah Airport was built on a 2.76-square-kilometer area of land owned by hundreds of citizens. A former municipal official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the expropriation decrees retroactively justified the government’s use of the land for the airport’s construction in 1956, noting that the owners did not receive compensation. One day after the redevelopment plans were announced, residents of al-Madhamiyah organized a protest to demand their land rights. One of the protest organizers, who identified himself as Abu Khaled, said residents welcome investment but want to sit at the negotiating table to discuss their share with investors, not with the state, stressing that they have documented land rights. The dispute comes as the Syrian government faces growing calls to address land confiscation during Assad’s reign and to ensure the rights of affected landowners. On September 2, UN experts in land rights urged the Syrian government to suspend and repeal laws they said enabled systematic land confiscation during Assad’s era, and called for either creating mechanisms to return properties to their rightful owners or providing adequate compensation. This places the transformation of Mazzah Airport in a more complex equation than merely rehabilitating an aviation facility; the project intersects transitional justice issues, uncovering the fate of the disappeared, protecting evidence related to past abuses, and resolving long-standing land ownership rights.
Mid East Online Bias n/a Not yet scored Legacy of Assad haunts the Mzeh Airport development project
Reuters Bias … Loading New documents reveal the airport’s use in executions. During the era of deposed President Bashar al-Assad and his father Hafez al-Assad, Mazzah Airport housed major branches of the air force intelligence with influence, along with several detention facilities where those believed to be opponents were subjected to torture, execution, and enforced disappearances. Parts of the airbase were used for presidential and official flights. Documents from the air force intelligence obtained recently by the Syrian Center for Justice and Accountability (SCJA), a U.S.-based rights NGO led by Syrians, and provided to Reuters exclusively, show that senior Syrian military officials approved in 2012 using Mazzah Airport as the site to execute detainees who had been sentenced to death by field courts. One document included a proposal to move the execution of death sentences from Saydnaya Prison—which at the time had the worst reputation—to Mazzah Airport as a “closed security complex” near Damascus. Later correspondence revealed consideration of using a shooting range, and then an adjacent aircraft hangar to the runway, as potential sites for executions. The documents highlight Mazzah Airport’s central role in the Assad-era security apparatus, showing that officials ordered the creation of a platform inside one of the hangars and the bringing in of nylon ropes to carry out executions under the supervision of air force intelligence, with emphasis on maintaining the utmost secrecy. A 2025 SCJA investigation identified two locations suspected to be mass graves connected to people who died while detained at Mazzah Airport, noting more than 1,150 detainees died there, some executed and others due to torture or abuse. In a July 2025 email seen by Reuters, SCJA provided the National Commission for Missing Persons in Syria with coordinates of two sites believed to be graves inside the airport, urging authorities to stop any construction or excavation until investigations are completed. The commission told Reuters that the National Commission for Missing Persons had informed them at the time that there were no plans for construction or redevelopment at Mazzah Airport. A September 8 letter, also seen by Reuters, warned that digging, clearing debris, or other activities could harm human remains and the evidence necessary to identify the dead. The SCJA said it had not yet received a response to its second letter. Amer Matar, founder of the Syria Prison Museum—a Germany-based NGO that documents detention facilities including those at Mazzah—said the planned works show a lack of respect for Syrian families still seeking answers about those detained under Assad. Matar told Reuters, “Building a commercial airport on a site that may contain mass graves, without a full prior investigation, site protection, search for the disappeared and their remains, or preserving evidence, is reckless and shows extreme disregard.” The Civil Aviation Authority, the National Commission for Missing Persons, and the Ministry of Defense, which runs the airport, did not respond to Reuters’ questions about suspected graves and land claims. SANA quoted the aviation authority spokesperson as saying that modernizing Mazzah Airport will consider the surrounding urban environment and relevant legal and social considerations, but did not specify graves or land ownership rights, and it is unclear who will develop the airport. Protests by residents over land claims: The dispute over the land on which airport facilities were built goes back decades. Under Assad, private lands were often expropriated for government projects, usually without compensation. Land records from the Moudaimiyeh municipality, reviewed by Reuters, show Mazzah Airport was built on land owned by hundreds of ordinary citizens spanning 2.76 square kilometers. A former municipal official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said the expropriation decrees retroactively justified government use of the land for the airport’s construction in 1956, and compensation was not paid. Residents organized a demonstration in Moudaimiyeh one day after the redevelopment plans were announced. One protest organizer who called himself Abu Khalid said, “We welcome investment, but we must sit at the negotiating table and discuss our share with the investors, not with the state… We have a documented right to this land.” This dispute comes as Syria faces calls to address property confiscation under Assad. On September 2, UN land rights experts urged the Syrian government to suspend and repeal laws that allowed systematic property confiscation during Assad’s era, and to either establish mechanisms to return properties to rightful owners or provide appropriate compensation. Coverage by Maya al-Jabiili, prepared by Shireen Abdulaziz and Rohab Alaa for the Arabic bulletin. Our standards: trust principles at Thomson Reuters.
Reuters Bias … Loading Syrian private airport plans spark outcry over mass graves, land rights
Saudi-owned? No. Actually, the Arabic text reads: صحيفة الوطن السورية -> As an accurate transliteration: Al-Watan al-Suriyeh Bias n/a Not yet scored Reuters: Documents reveal Mezzeh Airport’s use in carrying out executions of detainees
South China Morning Post Bias n/a Not yet scored Alarm as Syria plans private jet hub on former torture site
Tathbīq Nabd Bias n/a Not yet scored The Arab Daily/Syria plans to convert the Mazzah military airport into a civilian airport… concerns over mass graves and land ownership. Redevelopment works may tamper with sites suspected to contain mass graves and ignore land ownership claims.
The New Arab Bias n/a Not yet scored Syrian private airport plans spark outcry over mass graves
UA.NEWS Bias n/a Not yet scored Syria plans to convert Mezze Airport despite burial site concerns
www.thetraveler.org Bias n/a Not yet scored Qatar Airways Winter 2026-27 Network Tops 170 Destinations
