an urgent appeal for serious new ruler to preserve evidence of atrocities committed under former president aside. for those that _ former president aside. for those that made _ former president aside. igrr' those that made this happen, that ran it, they need to be held to account the same way we held to account the same way we held to account the same way we held to account the nazis or the leaders of cambodia or the genocide they are all the butchers of the former yugoslavia.— butchers of the former yu:oslavia. �* . , ,., yugoslavia. an ethics report into matt — yugoslavia. an ethics report into matt gaetz _ yugoslavia. an ethics report into matt gaetz who - yugoslavia. an ethics report into matt gaetz who was - yugoslavia. an ethics report i into matt gaetz who was briefly donald trump's nominee for attorney general says there is substantial evidence he paid for sex with a minor and used illicit drugs. and in a break from tradition, the king will not be recording his christmas message from a royal residence. hello.

good to have you here with us. we start with the situation in syria. rights groups are appealing to the country's new leaders to preserve evidence of atrocities commited under former president bashar al—assad's regime. investigators from amnesty international, human rights watch and the association of detainees and missing persons in sednaya prison, visited detention facilities and mass graves after rebels took over the capital. in a joint statement, the groups said: they say that such evidence, is essential for prosecuting those who violated international laws and for the tens of thousands of people who were forcibly disappeared under assad's rule. for more on the situation, i've been speaking to the former us ambassador at large for war crime issues in the office of global criminal justice, stephen rapp. you have just returned from syria, working with a number of

groups who were looking into looking for evidence of mass graves, torture, other atrocities, just to begin with, give us an impression of what you saw on the ground.- you saw on the ground. what these rights _ you saw on the ground. what these rights groups - you saw on the ground. what these rights groups who - you saw on the ground. whatj these rights groups who have met with is well reported on is accurate. there were families in these facilities, looking desperately for any information on their loved ones and often tearing through logbooks, trying to find the names, etc. there were some instances of sabotage, unit 235 so—called palestine branch, evidence room was entirely burned up. this is a matter of great concern, alleys, as a wednesday last week, the government put security around each of the centres, not yet around sednaya prison but they began to do the right thing in terms of preventing documents from walking. that said, this government was document mad, it

was very bureaucratic with various organs or participating in what i've called the machinery of death. and we had even during the part of the conflict when they were certain documents abandon and security centres when areas fell to the opposition, one group that i'm a chair off brought out 1.3 million pages of documents and all sorts of meetings and minutes, but we found another post so there are now tens of billions of documents annexed extremely important that they be preserved and digitised and analysed because that's where we are really going to know what happened to the individuals, we have to find the mass graves and return the remains of their families but a key part of whatever kind of justice process is going to be put into effect is truth of the survivors. put into effect is truth of the survivors-— put into effect is truth of the survivors. �* , ., , survivors. ambassador, used the -hrase survivors. ambassador, used the phrase there _ survivors. ambassador, used the phrase there machinery - survivors. ambassador, used the phrase there machinery of - survivors. ambassador, used the phrase there machinery of death | phrase there machinery of death and of course you had a long career prosecuting international war crimes, what you are seeing and hearing

about there in syria with the use of race machinery of death, have you seen anything like it before? i have you seen anything like it before? ., �* �* have you seen anything like it before? . �* �* , before? i haven't. i've seen others that— before? i haven't. i've seen others that i _ before? i haven't. i've seen others that i prosecuted - before? i haven't. i've seen| others that i prosecuted the leaders of the rwandan genocide, the tribunal in east africa and 800,000 people died in 100 days in church viciously with machetes and traditional weapons. men, women and children, this however was something quite different, a state which organise itself to really terrorise the civilian population and to allow the self—interest minority and a small clique to maintain power of 5a years and even a hint of any kind of dissent, even a joke about the leading family could land one in one family member in these dungeons. several countries have paused applications from syrian seeking asylum following the overthrow of the aside raging international human rights

groups have criticised the move is premature. fergal keane has gone back to some of those that he mad fleeing the war in syria and its early days. this report contains some distressing testimony. i never imagined that i will witness something like that in my life. and i'm so happy. very happy. they hit you and they said, "confess. confess. " we first met 12 years ago. he'd just escaped syria. gay, pro—democracy, raped by assad's police. they raping me, one by one. i start to say, "please don't do this. please don't do that." then he'd asked to remain nameless, faceless, a voice.

but no longer. today, living in holland, rene shevan celebrates assad's fall by showing his face. you've decided to appear on camera today. why is that? because the fear is gone. because i'm... i'm not scared of them anymore. because assad is a refugee in moscow. watching the release of prisoners triggered traumatic memories. i witnessed this, and i saw people are free. i was so happy for them, but i saw myself there. i saw when they raped me. when they tortured me. i saw everything.

it's a flashback. several hours away, i met another refugee i'd known in the days of the war. 0ne who'd never lost hope. i was certain nothing lasts forever. darkness is followed by dawn. it's nearly ten years since nujeen fled the kurdish region of syria, and ifirst met her among hundreds of thousands of refugees heading into europe. 15 years old with big dreams. i'd love to be an astronaut, to go out and see and find an alien. nujeen is safe in germany, but berlin has paused syrian asylum claims.

assad's fall is welcome, but not the end of the struggle, she says. i knew that we would not... i would never come back to syria that has assad as the president and that we would never have the chance to be better. and now with that, with that chapter over, i think the real challenge begins. what is the big challenge? we can and will be a better nation. we are a nation of love, acceptance and peace. not one of chaos, fear and destruction. there are many good hearts in syria and beyond hoping she's right. fergal keane, bbc news, cologne. benjamin netanyahu benjamin neta nyahu says benjamin netanyahu says that some progress in negotiations to secure a hostage release and ceasefire dealing gaza has been made, but added that reaching a final agreement is taken than

expected. —— taken longer than expected. meanwhile, 0xfam, says israel has systematically been using starvation as a weapon of war in gaza and accuses world leaders of not doing enough to address the humanitarian crisis. in a statement, the aid organisation described the situation as �*apocalyptic�* and said: gaza has been widely destroyed and the entire population is suffering. palestinian officials saying that israeli attacks across the territory have killed more than 50 people in the past 2a hours including in the southern save sign of al—mawasi. i've been speaking to the father of a hostage was been held captive in gaza for over a year. the father of 35—year—old. he is calling for a ceasefire deal to be reached quickly and he says that it's time for israel and hamas along with well—meaning governments to step up and stop the suffering. jonathan, many thanks indeed for being with us on bbc news. i'd like to start with the proposed gaza ceasefire, both sides today saying that gaps and narrowing

on a deal but of course i know that that has been said a number of times over this past year so, number of times over this past yearso, how number of times over this past year so, how do you feel about it this time around, does it give you hope that your son along with other hostages could be really soon — released soon? hope is a very dangerous word. we have learnt of the last year, plus since the last round of releases, i think the main difference today versus previous attempts to resolve this is that there is a incoming american president, president—elect trump who's made it very clear, two weeks ago today exactly, actually, made it very clear what his expectations of all the parties, notjust hamas parties, not just hamas intermediaries parties, notjust hamas intermediaries and is real, thatis intermediaries and is real, that is expectations as they get it done, no more excuses, no more delays, no more manufacturing of obstacles only put a date on it, january 20

so, that alone has clearly changed the landscape and for that, hostage families and all israelis, barring with very far—right friends are grateful to president—elect trump that he has put into motion this round with a clear deadline and in fact, clear threat that if his will is not done, there, as he says, will be held.- he says, will be held. you thinkthat _ he says, will be held. you think that that _ he says, will be held. you think that that president—elect donald trump is responsible for any potential momentum that we might be seeing right now? and do you think the biden administration is doing enough to bring lincoln hostages hung?

since october of 2023, has done everything that it can, everything that it can, everything in its power and the administration from top to bottom has been incredibly gracious and forthcoming, with more us citizens amongst in real. , �* , real. president biden himself would say — real. president biden himself would say that _ real. president biden himself would say that they - real. president biden himself would say that they will - real. president biden himself would say that they will have | would say that they will have done enough when the hostages are home. we asked the robbers are home. we asked the robbers are natives of seven us families, we have asked several weeks ago, both the outgoing biden administration officials and the relevant incoming trump administration officials to work and in hand, to put aside their differences and political competition. at least in this area of getting the hostages home and to use each side relative strengths and am very encouraged by the fact that we here and we see that both sides, the biden people and the trump people have in fact been working together, very hard in recent weeks to make this happen, everyone wants the same thing, the question is, really

right now, how are hamas leaders, whether they are, and israel's leaders, we know they are, are they more committed to doing the right thing for their own people orjust for their own people orjust for their own narrow political interests? and we hope that the added pressure from president—elect trump is what's going to bring it home, get the hostages home, all of them, and to end the mackesy castle because hamas is the only one who can and the madness in gaza, for the people of gaza by getting to yes in this round of negotiations. jonathan, as you are very aware, there are reports of a list of 30 hostages that you might be released during an initial sissy days ceasefire with more release if that ceasefire holds, have that has your family received any information about what this might mean for your son? trio. information about what this might mean for your son? no, we have not- — might mean for your son? no, we have not- 0k- _ might mean for your son? no, we

have not. ok. i— might mean for your son? no, we have not. ok. i want _ might mean for your son? no, we have not. ok. i want to _ might mean for your son? no, we have not. ok. i want to ask- might mean for your son? no, we have not. ok. i want to ask you i have not. ok. i want to ask you because i— have not. ok. i want to ask you because i cannot _ have not. ok. i want to ask you because i cannot imagine - have not. ok. i want to ask you because i cannot imagine how. because i cannot imagine how difficult the holiday season once again must be for your family, how do you keep that strength, how do you keep that hope for your son and as children, he has a daughter that he has an app unable to meet? . . . , that he has an app unable to meet? ., , ., , meet? he actually has three ounu meet? he actually has three young daughters _ meet? he actually has three young daughters and - meet? he actually has three young daughters and you - meet? he actually has three | young daughters and you are right, his youngest was born two months after the massacre. 179 of our community of 400 were taken hostage and another 59 murdered in cold blood by hamas to arrest and some of the looters, for me, every one has to run an answer. how do you keep going. for me, it's the absolute necessity, the secretary as father and grandfather to bring him home to his beautiful wife and his three young girls and he still has to meet his now slightly over one—year—old and i'm sure, like all other hostage families, those who might still be alive and those many

unfortunately, we have