Mezzeh military airport redevelopment sparks human rights concerns

The Syrian government plans to reclassify the Mezzeh military airport in Damascus for limited civilian use, focusing on private and executive aviation to complement Damascus International Airport. While the civil aviation authority has already begun infrastructure upgrades and rubble removal, the project has faced significant backlash from residents and human rights groups.

Concerns center on the potential disturbance of suspected mass graves and the overriding of private land claims resulting from decades of expropriation. Documents obtained by the Syria Justice and Accountability Centre (SJAC) reveal that Mezzeh served as a site for executions and detention under the previous administration. Specifically, military officials approved the site in 2012 for carrying out executions of detainees, with correspondence suggesting the use of a firing range and a hangar near the runway as execution sites.