Statement of Appeal from the The White Helmets Regarding Mass Graves and the Need to Protect Them In light of the current circumstances in Syria and the ongoing grave violations, including the exposure, excavation, and unprofessional handling of mass graves, The White Helmets appeals to authorities and media outlets to fulfill their responsibilities by respecting and protecting these sites. We also call on civilians to refrain from tampering with or interfering at these sites to ensure that evidence can be preserved for proper investigation. Immediate action is needed to secure these sites, prevent further violations, and involve qualified forensic experts to handle them in accordance with international standards. Unprofessional interventions in mass graves violate the dignity and rights of victims and their families. Such actions cause irreparable damage to crime scenes and forensic evidence, hindering efforts to uncover the fate of missing persons, identify perpetrators, and ensure accountability. These interventions obstruct justice, intensify the suffering of families awaiting answers, and undermine future efforts to achieve justice and accountability. The White Helmets strictly adheres to standardised protocols in addressing this sensitive issue. Our teams do not open mass graves or exhume buried remains. Instead, we respond to incidents involving exposed remains at risk of tampering or located outside mass graves. Handling mass graves requires judicial and legal oversight, specialized teams, legal authorization, technical expertise, and dedicated laboratories to ensure proper and scientific handling of remains. Currently, our teams focus on responding to urgent calls from members of the public regarding exposed, unburied remains. Our role is to preserve, document, and bury these remains according to specific protocols for potential future identification, while providing dignity for these individuals, protecting public health and avoiding loss of key evidence. While the media plays a vital role in highlighting the issue of the missing, mass graves, and related crimes in Syria, coverage must be conducted with professionalism, accuracy and ethical responsibility. Respect for the dignity of victims and the feelings of their families is crucial. Media outlets should refrain from filming remains or graves in a manner that compromises human dignity. Instead, coverage should raise awareness about the gravity of these crimes, honor the victims’ memory, and support families in their quest for justice. To Syrians, especially families of detainees and the forcibly disappeared, we express our full solidarity and understanding of your anguish and longing for your loved ones. We urge you to remain patient, we are committed to uncovering the fate of loved ones. This issue remains a top priority for us as we work to hold perpetrators accountable for forced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, extrajudicial killings, and mass killings leading to mass graves. These acts represent grave breaches of fundamental human rights and international humanitarian law, and we are committed to ensuring justice through appropriate legal mechanisms. The combined efforts of Syrians, institutions, active organizations, and international mechanisms are essential to protect and preserve mass graves, safeguard evidence, and document them accurately during this challenging period. These efforts will pave the way for professional and legal investigations, help uncover the fate of tens of thousands of missing persons, and provide answers to families, ensuring accountability and justice for all.