On Wednesday, May 7, 2025, 14-year-old Asaad Mustafa Ali, from the village of Aska, in the city of Afrin, northwest of Aleppo Governorate, was kidnapped by members of the Revolutionary Youth “Jwanen Shorshkar,” affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces, in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood of Aleppo, for forced recruitment.
According to what SNHR documented from reliable local sources, members of the Revolutionary Youth kidnapped the child, Asaad, upon his return from work at an auto repair shop in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood. They then abducted him and took him to one of their recruitment centers. The information also confirmed that the child is displaced and resides in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood.
SNHR notes that his family was not informed of the recruitment process. The child was prevented from communicating with his relatives, and SNHR notes that the SDF has denied his presence when his family visited one of its recruitment centers in the neighborhood. SNHR fears that the child will be involved in military operations, whether directly or indirectly. SNHR also confirms that approximately 413 children are still being held in forced recruitment camps run by the Syrian Democratic Forces.
Legal Conclusions
The abduction of the child, Asaad Ali, and forced recruitment constitute a flagrant violation of Article 38 of the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child, which obliges controlling powers to take all feasible measures to ensure that children under the age of 15 do not take part in hostilities. Since the child was under the age of 14 at the time of the incident, this constitutes a clear violation of the Convention.
Recruiting children under the age of 15 into armed conflict is a war crime under Article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Abduction for the purpose of forced recruitment amounts to inhuman treatment under the Geneva Conventions.
Preventing contact with the family and not disclosing the child’s whereabouts constitutes enforced disappearance under the definition of the 2006 International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. It also constitutes an unlawful deprivation of liberty, without legal justification, which violates Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Recommendations by SNHR
The immediate and unconditional release of the child Asad Ali, and ensuring his safe return to his family, while providing him with psychological and social support.
Cease all recruitment of children by the Syrian Democratic Forces, including its civilian wings such as the “Revolutionary Youth.”
Launch an independent and impartial investigation into the circumstances of the child’s abduction and other cases of child recruitment and hold those responsible for the violations accountable.
Allow international organizations, particularly the International Commission of Inquiry, UNICEF, and the International Committee of the Red Cross, to access recruitment camps and ensure the safety of children detained there.
The transitional government in Damascus must protect all Syrian citizens from all forms of violations against them and hold perpetrators accountable.
