Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Iskander Zakharia was 26 in May 1985, when three armed men came to his family’s home to “ask him some questions”. “We’ve not seen him since,” says his sister Lina, “but we believe he is still alive.”
This is a story familiar to thousands of families in Lebanon, who, during the 15-year civil war, saw fathers, mothers and children, disappear from their homes, places of work and the streets.
A new documentary, Sleepless Nights, on show in Beirut is yet another reminder of the estimated 17,000 people declared as “disappeared”.
It follows the stories of two people, one on each side of the situation: Assaad Chaftari, a former head of intelligence for a Christian militia, and Maryam Saiidi, a mother whose son Maher Kassir disappeared during a gun battle in 1982. He was 16 years old.
Chaftari, despite being in a position where he oversaw the exchanges or killings of Lebanese, evades directly answering any questions about missing people, with answers like: “Some secrets are not mine alone”, and “I don’t know anything”, even when coming face to face with the weeping Saiidi.
For families like the Kassir’s and Zakharia’s, answers can’t come soon enough and, sadly, with walls of silence like Chaftari, they could be waiting another 25 years.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments