The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) has revealed that it recorded at least 204 cases of arbitrary arrests in Syria in September 2023. More than half of these cases were attributed to Assad regime forces and the PYD militia in response to protests in areas under their control.
The report issued on Monday indicates that these arrests included 12 children and 6 women, with 161 cases resulting in enforced disappearances. The Network also noted that Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham was responsible for 14 arrests, while 34 cases were attributed to other parties.
According to the report, Aleppo province had the highest number of arbitrary detentions, followed by Deir Ezzor, Al-Hasakah, Rural Damascus, Damascus, Idlib, and Daraa.
The report highlights that despite amnesty decrees issued by the Assad regime, only 7,351 detainees were released, leaving approximately 135,253 detainees still in custody. It underscores that these amnesty decrees release only a very limited number of detainees.
The report further indicates that Assad regime forces continue to arrest civilians in response to various forms of anti-government protest movements in areas under their control. Meanwhile, the PYD militia persists in its policy of arbitrary detention in the areas it governs.
The SNHR stressed that the Assad regime has failed to fulfill any of its obligations under international treaties and agreements, particularly the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The rights group called on the UN Security Council to monitor the implementation of UN Resolutions 2042, 2043, and 2139, emphasizing the need to release children and women and cease the practice of taking families and friends hostage during times of conflict.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
