Abdul Rahman Tayeh Dawoud, from Taninir village in eastern rural Hasaka governorate, born in 1950, was detained by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) personnel at dawn on Friday, April 18, 2025, in a raid on his house in Taninir village. The arresting forces fired directly at him during the raid, wounding him in the head.
According to information obtained by the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) from reliable local sources, SDF forces stormed Abdul Rahman’s home in search of his son, who was wanted by them. While Abdul Rahman tried to flee, believing he would be arrested, the forces shot him directly, then assaulted members of his family and took him—while he was injured—to an undisclosed location.
On April 20, 2025, just two days after his arrest, SDF informed his family of his death and returned his body. SNHR received information indicating that Abdul Rahman was in poor health due to the injury sustained during his arrest, which strongly suggests that his death resulted from torture and the lack of medical care.
International law strictly prohibits torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. This prohibition has become a peremptory norm of customary international law that cannot be overridden by other rights or values – even in emergencies. Violating this prohibition constitutes a crime under international criminal law. Those who issue orders for torture or assist in its implementation bear criminal responsibility for such acts.
SNHR condemns all detention and torture practices committed by SDF armed members. We call for an immediate and independent investigation into all incidents of detention and torture, particularly this brutal incident. SNHR also demands that all those involved, both those who issued the orders and those who carried them out, be held accountable. The Syrian public must be informed of the results of any investigations and prosecutions. Furthermore, all individuals involved in abduction and torture over the years must be exposed and removed from their positions, and all victims must be compensated for both material and moral damages.
