On Tuesday, August 12, 2025, Ali Ibrahim Al-Sheikh, 17 years old, from the village of Metras, near the city of Ayn al-Arab in the eastern countryside of Aleppo Governorate, was arbitrarily arrested by members of the Syrian Democratic Forces in the village of Metras, which is under their control.
According to information we obtained from reliable local sources, the forces raided Ali’s home in the village and, after arresting him, took him to an unknown location. The sources 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.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights notes that his phone was confiscated, preventing him from communicating with his family. We fear that he may be subjected to torture and may be forcibly disappeared.
We are continuing our investigations, including reviewing and gathering more evidence and information. Therefore, we hope that anyone with information or details related to this incident will provide them to us via our official email address: [email protected]
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 them from communicating with their families or a lawyer 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 a detainee’s phone without a 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.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights’ recommendations:
- Immediately and unconditionally release the child 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 conditions of his detention, particularly into allegations of degrading treatment, and hold those responsible 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.
