On Saturday, November 29, 2025, Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) elements arbitrarily arrested civilians Wael Al-Hawash and Mustafa Khalil Al-Abd, residents of Al-Sahl village in the southern Raqqa countryside, after raiding their homes in the village, which is under SDF control. At the time of this report, their whereabouts and the reasons for their arrest remain unknown.
According to information obtained from reliable local sources, the raid was carried out without any legal justification, and the two men had returned to their village from Lebanon just a few days prior.
Sources confirmed that the arrests were carried out without a warrant or court order, and without informing their families of their whereabouts. Their phones were confiscated, and they were prevented from contacting their families. The Syrian Network for Human Rights fears they may be subjected to torture and become victims of enforced disappearance.
We are continuing our investigations, including reviewing and gathering further evidence and information. Therefore, we urge anyone with information or details related to this incident to provide them to us via our official email address: [email protected]
Legal Conclusions:
- This arrest, carried out without a formal warrant, without clear charges being brought, and without the detainee being brought before a competent judicial authority, constitutes a violation of Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibits arbitrary arrest and requires that the detainee be informed of the reason for their arrest and be given the right to challenge it before a court.
- Taking the detainees to an unknown location and preventing them from contacting their families or lawyers constitutes enforced disappearance, which 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 be protected from ill-treatment.
- Confiscating the detainees’ phones without a legal order is a violation of the right to private property and constitutes an arbitrary practice that contravenes fundamental safeguards governing criminal procedure.
- The degrading manner in which the arrest was carried out falls under the category of torture, which is prohibited at all times.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights recommends:
- The immediate and unconditional release of those detained in this incident, or their appearance before a civilian court that meets the standards of a fair trial, if there are genuine legal charges against them.
- A transparent and independent investigation into the circumstances of their detention, particularly the allegations of degrading treatment, with those responsible for the violations being held accountable.
- Enabling them to communicate with their families and legal representatives, and ensuring their physical and psychological safety during their detention, in accordance with international standards.
