Arrest, Death under torture & Release in September 2021
Arrests and enforced disappearances continued in various security-controlled areas in Syria during the month of September, and these operations were concentrated in particular in regime-controlled areas, especially in Daraa governorate and Rif Dimashq. This month, the Syrian Human Rights Committee (SHRC) documented the arrest of 93 people, including 58 people by the regime forces, 26 people by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), 4 people by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and 3 people by the opposition National Army.
SHRC also documented this month the death of 4 detainees under torture, one in the prisons of the regime, one in the prisons of the Syrian Democratic Forces, one in the prisons of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and one in the prisons of the the National Army.
In September, SHRC documented the release of 9 detainees, 5 of whom were from the prisons of the regime and 4 from the prisons of the Syrian Democratic Forces.
First: the arrest
- Syrian Regime
On 9/1/2021, the regime security forces arrested Mahmoud Ibrahim, a journalist in Al-Thawra newspaper, along with 7 mothers who gathered at the door of the Directorate of Education in Tartus to protest the way the Directorate deals with their children and not accept them in the School of Outstanding Students, despite their high educational attainment compared to their peers who were accepted even though they got lower marks.
On 3/9/2021, the regime forces arrested Muhammad Kifah al-Ammar, from the town of Nimr in the countryside of Daraa governorate, and took him to an unidentified destination.
On 4/9/2021, forces affiliated with the Military Security Branch arrested the wife of Muayyad Harfush, one of the regime’s wanted men, along with his five children, and his brother Ahmed Harfuch with his wife, and took them to the Military Security Branch in Al-Matar neighborhood in Daraa.
On 6/9/2021, the regime forces launched a campaign of raids in the town of Nimr in the northern countryside of Daraa governorate. They arrested 13 civilians took them to an unidentified destination.
On 6/9/2021, a State Security Branch patrol raided civilian homes in the city of Al-Harra, northwest of Daraa, and arrested 4 civilians, known among them: Muhammad Awad Al-Jarad, Abdullah Tohme Qanbis, and Muhammad Ali Qanbis.
On 7/9/2021, the Military Security Izra’a checkpoint arrested Qassem Muhammad Al-Asaad Al-Jalam and Hussain Ali Al-Jabawi, who are from Jasim city in Daraa governorate, and they were taken to an unidentified destination.
On 7/9/2021, the security services in the Directorate of Immigration and Passports in Daraa arrested Suleiman Abdul Majeed Al-Halqi, who is from Al-Alia neighborhood in the western Jasim countryside in Daraa governorate, and took him to an unidentified destination.
On 7/9/2021, the regime forces arrested Muhammad Mamoun al-Hariri, who is from the city of Busr al-Harir in Daraa governorate, and took him to an unidentified destination.
On 10/9/2021, the regime forces arrested Fadi Mamdouh Al-Jarad and his son Alaa Fadi Al-Jarad, who are from the town of Al-Harra in Daraa governorate, and took them to an unidentified destination.
On 9/10/2021, the regime forces arrested Khaled al-Hariri, a resident of Dael town, Daraa governorate, and took him to an unidentified destination.
On 9/13/2021, the regime forces arrested Qusai Hamdi Al-Zoubi and Muhammad Al-Zoubani, who are from the town of Al-Yadouda in the Daraa Governorate, and took them to an unidentified destination.
On 9/14/2021, the regime forces arrested Khaled Abdel Salam al-Halqi, Inad Musa al-Safadi, Muhammad Malik al-Safadi and Mansour Mahmoud al-Halqi, in Jassim city in Daraa governorate, and took them to an unidentified destination.
On 9/14/2021, the regime forces arrested Muhammad Ahmad Umira and Raafat Ahmad Umira at the al-Mafraza checkpoint between al-Harra and Nimr in Jasim city in Daraa governorate, and took them to an unidentified destination.
On 9/20/2021, members of the regime forces arrested 5 civilians, including a child, when they passed one of its checkpoints at the southern entrance to Deir ez-Zor, and they were taken to an unidentified destination.
On 9/28/2021, the regime forces arrested Muhammad Madian Almorshed Al-Yateem, from the city of Jassem, in Daraa governoarate, at the border crossing with Lebanon, as he was on his way from Lebanon to the Emirates.
- Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)
On 3/9/2021, SDF forces arrested Sami Al-Alawi and Issa Al-Hussein, who are from the village of Al-Hurayjiah in the northern countryside of Deir Ez-Zor, after raiding their homes in the village of Al-Hurayjiah, and took them to an unidentified destination.
On 3/9/2021, SDF forces arrested the child Bandar Adnan Al-Sukran (15 years), from the village of Al-Ezbah in the northern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, after raiding his house in the village of Al-Ezba, and took him to an unidentified destination.
On 9/13/2021, SDF forces arrested Ibrahim Turki al-Fandi, a resident of Darang village in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor governorate, in the livestock market in Darang village, and took him to an unidentified destination.
On 9/16/2021, SDF forces carried out a raid and arrest campaign in the city of Ain Al-Arab in the eastern countryside of Aleppo governorate. Three teachers and five students were arrested, in connection with their participation in a demonstration criticizing the educational curriculum imposed by the Autonomous Administration in its areas of control. They were taken to an unidentified destination.
On 9/21/2021, the Internal Security Forces (Sutur) of the Syrian Democratic Forces arrested in the city of Qamishli George Youssef Safar and Samer Danho Koreya, two members of the Syriac Orthodox Milli Council, from the city of Qamishli in the northeastern countryside of Al-Hasakah governorate, against the background of the council’s rejection of the curriculum. The education imposed by the Autonomous Administration in its areas of control over the schools affiliated with the Council, and took them to an unidentified destination.
On 9/22/2021, SDF forces arrested two brothers, Mahmoud and Hamed Khalaf Al-Attiyah, from the city of Al-Hasakah, after raiding their homes in the Nazareth neighborhood of Al-Hasakah city, and they were taken to an unidentified destination.
On 9/23/2021, SDF forces arrested two brothers, Aboud and Musab Aqil Al-Jamo, who are from Mazra’at Al-Hawkiah village in the northern countryside of Al-Raqqa governorate, following a verbal altercation between them and SDF members at one of its checkpoints in the village, and they were taken to one of SDF detention centres.
On 9/24/2021, SDF forces arrested Ziyad Muhammad Sharif, a member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, from the city of Qamishli in the northeastern countryside of al-Hasakah, after raiding his workplace in the central market in the city of Qamishli, against the background of his participation in a demonstration criticizing the living and service conditions. The arrests were made in the areas of the Autonomous Administration, and he was taken to an unidentified destination.
On 9/26/2021, the Syrian Democratic Forces arrested Ahmed Al-Ali, an official in the irrigation department in the Civil Council in Deir ez-Zor governorate, from the city of al-Baseera, east of Deir ez-Zor governorate, after raiding his place of residence near the al-Ma’amil gathering, north of Deir ez-Zor city, and took him to an unidentified destination.
On 9/28/2021, the Syrian Democratic Forces arrested the child Omar Ahmad Al-Hassoun (12 years), from the village of Al-Azbah, north of Deir ez-Zor governorate, near the village of Al-Ezba oil field in the Badia of the northern Deir ez-Zor governorate, and took him to an unidentified destination.
- National Army
On 9/13/2021, the Political Security Forces of the National Army arrested Farida Sido, who is from the village of Karuka, affiliated to the city of Afrin in the northern countryside of Aleppo, while she was at the prison of the Political Security Branch in the city of Afrin to visit her husband, Abdul Qader Sido, who has been detained since September 1, 2021 on charges of Dealing with the SDF.
On 09/14/2021, the National Army forces arrested Manaf Al-Abdullah, director of the Civic Department in the local council of the National Army forces in Ras Al-Ain, northwest of Al-Hasakah Governorate, from the city of Ras Al-Ain, after raiding his workplace in the Civic Department building in the city Ras al-Ain, and took him to an unidentified destination.
On 9/18/2021, the Military Police of the National Army arrested Arin Dali Hassan in the village of Kemar in the countryside of Afrin, north of Aleppo Governorate, and took her to an unidentified destination.
- Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)
On 4/9/2021, HTS arrested the two media activists, Bashar and Muhammad al-Sheikh, from the town of Kafr Nabudah, northwest of Hama governorate, and they reside in the Anatolia camp for the displaced near the village of Kafr Lusin, north of Idlib governorate, after raiding their place of residence in the camp, and took them to an unidentified destination.
On 4/9/2021, HTS arrested Muhammad Al-Amin, a member of the Civil Defense in the center of Ariha, from the village of Shanan in the southern countryside of Idlib governorate, after raiding his house in the village of Shanan, and took him to an unidentified destination. Several days after his arrest, his family received information that he had been transferred to Al-Shami Hospital in the city of Ariha, south of Idlib governorate, as a result of his deteriorating health due to torture during his detention.
On 9/16/2021, HTS arrested Hassan Abdul Razzaq Jilo, a student at the Faculty of Dentistry at Idlib University, from Masaken Hanano neighborhood in Aleppo city due to criticising HTS and salvation government on his personal page on the Facebook platform, and took him to an unidentified destination.
Second: Death under torture
- Syrian Regime
On 9/12/2021, the relatives of Majd Al-Abdullah , the detainee in the custody of the regime forces learned of his death under torture. He is from the city of Houla in Homs governorate. He had been arrested at the beginning of 2021 while trying to escape to Turkey.
- The National Army
On 9/20/2021, the family of the detainee, Hikmat Khalil al-Da’ar, from the village of al-Tayyana, east of Deir ez-Zor governorate, learned of his death under torture. Al-Da’ar, a 45-year-old sheep-herder, was arrested by members of the Suqur Al-Shamal Brigade of the National Army forces on September 16, 2021, after raiding his place of residence in the city of Ras Al-Ain, northwest of Al-Hasakah governorate, where he was taken to a detention center on charges of collaborating with SDF forces. Then, on September 20, his family received a notification from the National Army informing them of the need to visit the Ras al-Ain city hospital. Upon their arrival at the hospital, the family learned of his death, then received his body the next day.
- Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)
On 9/27/2021, the family of Adnan Ajaj al-Abo, the detainee at SDF learned of his death under torture. He is from the village of al-Ahmar in the Tel Hamis district, al-Hasakah governorate. SDF forces had arrested al-Abo at the beginning of 2021, less than a month after he was released from the prisons of the Syrian regime, after a detention that lasted about 7 years.
- Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)
On 9/15/2021, the family of Ahmed Hussein Satouf, the detainee at HTS learned of his death under torture. He is from the village of Tal Hadiya, south of Aleppo governorate. HTS had arrested him in the village of Tal Hadiya in February 2021, on charges of dealing with the regime.
Third: Release
1.Syrian Regime
On 3/9/2021, the regime forces released the detainee Omar Ali Al-Hussaini, who is from the city of Al-Harra in Daraa governorate after two years of detention.
On 3/9/2021, the regime forces released the detainee Ali Younis al-Muhammad, who is from the village of Marat in the eastern countryside of Deir Ez-Zor, after a detention that lasted more than a year.
On 9/13/2021, the regime forces released the detainee Muhammad Mamoun al-Hariri, who is from the city of Busr al-Harir in Daraa governorate.
On 9/21/2021, the regime forces released the detainee, Muhammad Deeb Nuseirat, from Jassim city in the countryside of Daraa governorate, after a month-long detention in the regime’s prisons after his return from Kuwait.
On 9/22/2021, the regime forces released the detainee Ibrahim Jado al-Hariri, who is from the town of al-Faqi’ in the countryside of Daraa governorate, after a 3-year detention.
- Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)
On 9/23/2021, the SDF released the detainee Abdul Karim Al-Ali, nicknamed Abu Atwan, from the village of Al-Shannan in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, after a detention that lasted about 3 years.
On 9/25/2021, SDF released the detainees Ali Al-Amin Al-Amshan, Ali Al-Ahmad Al-Amshan and Jamil Khalif Al-Amshan, after a detention that lasted for about three years. They are from the town of Al-Shuhail in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor.