On Saturday, August 9, 2025, Hamza al-Hamada al-Khalil, a 17-year-old high school student from the town of Hazima in the northern countryside of Raqqa Governorate, was arbitrarily arrested by members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the town of Hazima, which is under their control.
According to information we obtained from reliable local sources, elements arrested the child Hamza after luring him via WhatsApp in his hometown. The arrest stemmed from his criticism of the Syrian Democratic Forces’ policies on his personal Facebook page. After his arrest, he was taken to an unknown location. The sources also confirmed that the arrest/detention was carried out without an arrest warrant issued by an official authority and was carried out in a humiliating manner.
Legal Conclusions:
- This arrest, without a formal warrant, clear charges, or a court-appointed person, 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 a child to an unknown location and preventing him from communicating with his family or a lawyer represents him is classified as enforced disappearance, and is 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 a detainee’s phone without a warrant is a violation of the right to private property and constitutes an arbitrary practice that contravenes fundamental safeguards governing criminal procedure.
- Carrying out the arrest in a degrading manner falls within the framework of torture, which is prohibited at all times.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights’ recommendations:
- The immediate and unconditional release of the child in this incident, or their referral to 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 conditions of his detention, particularly into allegations of degrading treatment, and hold those responsible for violations accountable.
- Enable him to communicate with his family and a lawyer to represent him, and ensure his physical and psychological safety during his detention, in accordance with international standards.
