The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) said that the resumption of the so-called voluntary return program which the Lebanese authorities launched in 2017 poses a serious threat to the safety of returnees. The Network indicated that it documented at least 208 arbitrary arrests across Syria in October, including against seven children and five women.
In a report issued on Thursday, the Network said that the fate of 124 detainees is still unknown, adding that the Assad regime detained 86 people, while Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham detained 49 others. It also said that the PYD militia detained 46 people, including seven children, while 27 people were detained by unidentified armed groups.
According to the report, the Assad regime continues to crack down on the political opposition, which proves the fact that no Syrian citizen is safe from arbitrary arrest.
The monitoring group added that there will be no stability or security as long as the same security agencies are there, stressing that these agencies have been committing crimes against humanity since 2011.
The report indicated that the PYD militia continues with arbitrary arrest and enforced disappearance, adding that it raided civilian homes under the pretext of chasing ISIS sleeper cells.
Moreover, the report pointed out that Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham arrested civilians in Idlib province, especially media and political activists in response for criticizing the group’s policies and mismanagement of the areas under its control.
The Network called on the UN Security Council to completely implement resolutions 2042, 2043, and 2139, stressing the need to release children and women and stop taking families and friends as hostages. (Source: SOC’s media department)
