On Monday, September 1, 2025, members of the Syrian Democratic Forces arbitrarily arrested four civilians from the same family, including an elderly man. All were residents of the village of Khas Ajil, located in the al-Hus area in the eastern countryside of Raqqa Governorate. The arrests were carried out after raiding their homes in the village, which is under their control. At the time of writing, the location to which the detainees were taken remains unknown, and the reasons for their arrests are unknown.
Sources confirmed that the arrests were carried out without a legal warrant or judicial order, and without informing any of the detainees’ families of their whereabouts. Their phones were confiscated, preventing them from communicating with their families. The Syrian Network for Human Rights fears that they may be subjected to torture and may be forcibly disappeared.
We are continuing our investigations, including reviewing and collecting further 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 bringing the detainee before a competent judicial authority, constitutes a violation of Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibits arbitrary detention and requires that the detainee be informed of the reasons for their arrest and be able to challenge it before a court.
- The fact that detainees are taken to an unknown location and denied access to their families or legal representatives 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 detainees’ phones without a warrant violates 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 constitutes torture, which is prohibited at all times.
Recommendations by the Syrian Network for Human Rights:
- The immediate and unconditional release of those detained in this incident, or their referral to a civilian court with fair trial conditions, if there are genuine legal charges against them.
- A transparent and independent investigation should be opened into the conditions of their detention, particularly into the allegations of degrading treatment, and those responsible for violations should be held accountable.
- The detainees should be allowed to communicate with their families and lawyers, and their physical and psychological safety should be guaranteed during their detention, in accordance with international standards.
