The intention of this exhibition is to cast light on the topic of the disappeared in Syria. It is being officially opened on March 6 in fact, the date marking eight long years since the conflict in that country began. Since then, tens of thousands of people have disappeared after being detained, arrested or kidnapped by the Syrian government or, to a lesser degree, by armed opposition groups. Many of the disappeared are political activists, human rights defenders, journalists, medical professionals and humanitarian workers. With this exhibition, Casa Árabe is joining the efforts which the development NGO Amnesty International has been carrying out on an ongoing basis so that the search for these people, victims of the meaningless violence, will not end and their memory is not forgotten.

The exhibit includes items belonging to some of the victims, poems written by people who were detained, portraits made by a Syrian artist who was in prison and a recreation of the encoded conversations held by a group of activists.

The official opening will be held along with a round table discussion with the participation of Fadwa Mahmoud, a Syrian activist who co-founded the group “Families for Freedom,” the wife and mother of Abd al Aziz al Khayyir and Maher Tahan, two men who disappeared in September of 2012 at a checkpoint in the Damascus airport. Also taking part will be Leen Hashem, of Amnesty International’s team for investigation on Syria, and Spanish photojournalist Ricardo García Vilanova. This will take place on March 6 at 7:00 p.m. in the Casa Árabe Auditorium in Madrid.