March 17, 2017 Issue

Arbin, Syria—A man waters herbs on his roof in this rebel-held town in the Eastern Ghouta region, near Damascus, on March 3. It’s been six years since Syria’s civil war began—a conflict that started as a series of nonviolent protests but quickly morphed into an international crisis that’s killed hundreds of thousands and left much of the country in ruins. Recently, Amnesty International reported that forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad hung thousands of people after a series of quick sham trials. Assad has long said his soldiers treat detainees lawfully, but the report offered more evidence of mass killings by the regime.