On Sunday, June 1, 2025, Wahida Najm al-Din Makhiz, a child born in 2009 and originally from the village of Birk, near the city of Ayn al-Arab in the eastern countryside of Aleppo Governorate, was kidnapped by members of the Revolutionary Youth “Jwanen Shorshkar” affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces in the village of Birk for forced recruitment.
According to what the Syrian Network for Human Rights documented from reliable local sources, members of the Revolutionary Youth Organization lured the young girl, Wahida, to the outskirts of her village through one of her close friends, then kidnapped her and took her to one of its recruitment centers.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights notes that her family was not informed of the recruitment process, and the girl was prevented from communicating with her family or allowing them to visit her. The network fears that the girl will be involved in military operations, whether directly or indirectly. The network also confirms that approximately 413 children are still being held in forced recruitment camps run by the Syrian Democratic Forces.
Legal Conclusions
- The abduction and forced recruitment of Wahida Najmeddine Mkhize constitutes a flagrant violation of Article 38 of the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child, which requires controlling powers to take all feasible measures to ensure that children under the age of 18 do not take part in hostilities. Since the child was born in 2009, she was under the age of 16 at the time of the incident, making the incident a clear violation of the Convention.
- The recruitment of children under the age of 18 into armed conflict is a war crime under Article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Abduction for the purpose of forced recruitment also amounts to inhuman treatment under the Geneva Conventions.
- Denying contact with the family and failing to disclose the child’s whereabouts constitutes enforced disappearance under the 2006 International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. It also constitutes an unlawful deprivation of liberty without legal justification, in violation of Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
- The abduction of the child while she was on her way to school violates Article 28 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the right to education, as well as Article 16 on the protection of family life and privacy.
Recommendations by SNHR:
- The immediate and unconditional release of the child, Wahida Najm al-Din Mukhiz, and ensuring her safe return to her family, along with the provision of psychosocial support.
- The cessation of all child recruitment by the Syrian Democratic Forces, including its civilian wings such as the “Revolutionary Youth.”
- Open an independent and impartial investigation into the circumstances of the girl’s abduction and other cases of child recruitment and hold those responsible for violations accountable.
- Allow international organizations, particularly the International Commission of Inquiry, UNICEF, and the International Committee of the Red Cross, to access recruitment camps and ensure the safety of children detained there.
- The transitional government in Damascus must protect all Syrian citizens from all forms of violations against them and hold perpetrators accountable.
