On Saturday, June 7, 2025, members of the Transitional Government’s Internal Security Forces arbitrarily arrested civilians Akid Rashid Hassan and Rashid Saydo Bakr, both from the village of Kawanda (Midana), affiliated with the city of Afrin in the countryside of Aleppo Governorate, aged 24 and 50 (respectively), following a raid on their homes in the village. The area is under the control of the Transitional Government.
According to information obtained by the Syrian Network for Human Rights from reliable local sources, members of the Internal Security Forces arrested Akid and Rashid from their homes after they returned from their displacement areas under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces. They detained them without providing any clear reasons, and without presenting a legal warrant or court order justifying the arrest. They also confiscated a car belonging to Rashid. As of the time of writing, it is not known where they were taken or the reasons for their arrest.
Legal Conclusions:
- The arrest of civilians Akid and Rashid without a warrant, charges, or informing their families of their whereabouts constitutes arbitrary detention according to the definition of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and constitutes a direct violation of Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
- The failure to inform the detainees of the reasons for their arrest and to deny them access to a lawyer or their family violates the basic guarantees of a fair trial, as stipulated in Articles 9 and 14 of the International Covenant and constitutes a form of unlawful detention.
- The arrest of civilians from their homes without prior legal proceedings constitutes an abuse of security and military authority and restricts the right to freedom of movement and safe travel within areas under the authority of the transitional government.
- The continuation of such cases without transparent investigations or accountability for those responsible reinforces the climate of impunity and threatens to perpetuate a culture of arbitrary detention as a tool for pressure and extortion in the absence of effective judicial oversight.
- As the area is under the control of the transitional government, it bears direct responsibility for the actions of its security and military agencies, including any human rights violations that fall within its effective control.
Recommendations by SNHR
- Immediately reveal the fate of civilians Aqeed Rashid Hassan and Rashid Sido Bakr, ensure their physical and psychological safety, and enable their families to communicate with them.
- Immediately release them unless credible legal charges are brought and ensure that they are brought to a fair trial before an independent judicial authority that meets the requirements of justice.
- Open an administrative and judicial investigation into the incident to hold accountable the individuals who carried out the unlawful arrest. Make the investigation’s findings public to ensure transparency.
- Activate oversight at checkpoints and security sites, and establish strict legal controls for arrests and temporary detentions, including training on respect for international human rights standards.
- Provide financial and moral compensation to detainees and their families if the unlawfulness of their detention is proven, within the framework of reparations stipulated in international law.
