Syrian human rights groups have expressed concern over lack of progress in the issue of detainees in the Astana talks. Participants in the 8th and latest round of talks in the Kazakh capital Astana agreed to set up a working group to address the issue but no clear mechanisms of action were established.
Maysaa’ al-Khalid, activist of the ‘Save the Rest’ media campaign, told Enab Baladi newspaper that the issue of detainees needs to be addressed in a neutral environment and under international supervision and with the participation of civil society and relevant organizations. She said that the formation of the working group “has caused growing concerns instead of giving up new hope.”
Al-Khalid stressed the need for the United Nations to assume its duty as a neutral and international observer and not allow the issue of detainees to be used as a bargaining chip by any party to the conflict. She said that the lack of progress in the issue and the failure to bring it into focus have raised more question marks.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) earleir said it had documented the names of 117,000 detainees in the prisons of the Assad regime. However, it is estimated that number exceeds 215,000, 99% of whom are detained in the prisons of the Assad regime.
‘Save the Rest’ campaign was launched by Syrian activists inside and outside Syria in early 2015 with the aim of calling attention to the suffering of thousands of detainees in Assad’s prisons. The campaign seeks to bring the issue of detainees to the forefront and to instill hope in the hearts of the detainees’ loved in addition to conveying their voice to humanitarian and human rights organizations. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department + Enab Baladi Newspaper)
