Syrian regime forces’ Military Security Personnel arrested six civilians from Kafr Batna town in the center of Damascus suburbs governorate, on September 1, 2022, during an arrest campaign in the town. The detained civilians were taken to Branch 227 of the Military Intelligence Branch in Damascus city.
The arrests weren’t carried out in accordance with a court warrant, and their families weren’t informed of the arrest, and their phones were confiscated, and they haven’t been allowed to contact any lawyer or member of their families. We fear they may be subjected to torture and go on to be forcibly disappeared, as has happened with 85% of detainees.
SNHR calls for financial and psychological restitution for all Syrian regime’s victims and their families, as well as for an end to all arbitrary detention and for the fate of thousands of individuals forcibly disappeared by the Syrian regime to be revealed. We note that these arrests are carried out with the objective of spreading fear and terror in the community and blackmailing the detainees’ families. We have additional, well-founded fears for the detainees’ wellbeing due to the spread of COVID-19.