Syrian Democratic Forces arrested six teachers from Raqqa city in raids on their homes in Raqqa city on March 27, 2022. The Syrian Democratic Forces arrested the teachers on the pretext that those detained had called on fellow teachers and workers in the education sector to take strike action in protest at low salaries, calling for them to be increased. The detained teachers were taken to an undisclosed location.
SNHR notes that the families of the arrested civilians weren’t given any information about the detentions. The detainees’ phones were confiscated, and they haven’t been allowed to contact other family members or a lawyer. We fear they will be subjected to torture and go on to become forcibly disappeared as has happened in 85 % of arrest cases.
SNHR calls for financial and psychological restitution for the victims and their families, as well as for an end to all arbitrary detentions, and for the fate of hundreds of individuals forcibly disappeared by Syrian Democratic Forces to be revealed.
We note that these arrests are carried out with the objective of spreading fear and terror in the community and blackmailing the detainees’ families. We have additional, well-founded fears for the detainees’ well-being due to the spread of COVID-19.
