At dawn on Tuesday, July 17, 2025, members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) arbitrarily arrested eight civilians, including a child, all from the same family, from the town of Mansoura in the western countryside of Raqqa Governorate. The arrests were carried out after raiding their homes in the town, which is under their control.
At the time of writing, the location to which the detainees were taken remained unknown, and the reasons behind their arrests were not yet known.
Sources confirmed that the arrests were carried out without a warrant or court order, and without informing any of the detainees’ families of their whereabouts. Their phones were confiscated, preventing them from communicating with their families.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights fears that they may be subjected to torture and may be forcibly disappeared.
Legal Conclusions:
• This arrest, without an official warrant, clear charges, or referral to a competent judicial authority, constitutes a violation of Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibits arbitrary detention and requires that detainees be informed of the reasons for their arrest and be able to challenge it before a court.
• Taking detainees to an unknown location and preventing them from communicating with their families or legal representatives constitutes enforced disappearance, prohibited under the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, which affirms the right to know the whereabouts of detainees and to protect them from ill-treatment.
• Confiscating detainees’ phones without a legal warrant violates the right to private property and constitutes an arbitrary practice that contravenes fundamental safeguards governing criminal proceedings.
• Carrying out the arrest in a degrading manner constitutes torture, which is prohibited at all times.
SNHR’s Recommendations:
• Immediately and unconditionally release those detained in this incident, or bring them before a civilian court that meets the conditions for a fair trial, if there are genuine legal charges against them.
• Open a transparent and independent investigation into the circumstances of their detention, particularly into allegations of degrading treatment, and hold those responsible for violations accountable.
• Allow them to communicate with their families and lawyers, and ensure their physical and psychological safety during their detention, in accordance with international standards.
