The town of al-Hol (in southeastern al-Hasakah governorate, northeastern Syria) witnessed a protest on Friday, March 27, organized by residents to demand the release of their relatives detained in prisons run by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Calls are mounting to end the issue of arbitrary detention and open a clear legal track that guarantees the rights of detainees and their families.
During the protest, demonstrators raised slogans rejecting the continued detention of their relatives without trials or transparent legal procedures. They described the issue as an urgent humanitarian matter affecting thousands of families in the area, amid the absence of accurate information about the detainees’ fate or conditions.
Calls to end arbitrary detention
Participants in the protest told Enab Baladi that the move came after years of waiting without any tangible progress on the detainees’ file. Families said their relatives had been held for varying periods without being brought before courts or allowed to defend themselves.
Protesters said the continuation of this situation constitutes a human rights violation, demanding the immediate release of all detainees or that they be granted fair and public trials that meet minimum legal standards.
They also stressed the need to include the detainees’ file in any upcoming political agreements or understandings, and not to treat it as a secondary issue, given its broad humanitarian and social dimensions.
Families’ suffering, waiting without answers
The protest reflects part of the daily suffering endured by families of detainees, amid constant anxiety over the fate of their relatives and the lack of clear communication channels with the responsible authorities.
In this context, Mohammad, a pseudonym used for the father of one detainee, said his son was arrested more than three years ago during a security campaign, and since then, the family has received no confirmed information about him.
“We do not know whether he is well or not, and we do not even know where he is. That is the hardest part of what we are living through,” he said, adding that families are asking only for their right to know the fate of their relatives and to ensure a fair trial for them.
For her part, Rafaa, a pseudonym used for the mother of one detainee, said her son’s absence has left a deep psychological impact on the family, especially the children.
“The children ask every day about their father, and we have no answer,” she said.
She added that leaving the issue unresolved is “draining families psychologically and materially,” calling on the relevant authorities and rights organizations to intervene and press for an end to it.
Calls to include the file in any settlement
The protests come as northeastern Syria is witnessing a track of political and administrative understandings, prompting demonstrators to stress that the detainees’ file must be among the priorities of any settlement.
Families believe that addressing the issue must be comprehensive, including either the release of detainees or the legal settlement of their cases, alongside guarantees against the recurrence of arbitrary detention.
They also called on international rights organizations to monitor prison conditions and work to ensure humane standards in the treatment of detainees.
Although the protesters’ demands fall within a humanitarian framework, the detainees’ issue in northeastern Syria remains tied to political and security complexities, which is reflected in the slow pace of handling it.
Even so, families insist that their cause is “humanitarian before anything else,” and that any delay in resolving it only deepens the suffering of thousands of households living in a state of open-ended waiting.
Reciprocal steps to address the issue
The protests come at a time when the detainees’ file is seeing rapid developments at the political level, as official bodies have announced reciprocal steps between the Syrian government and the SDF to address the issue.
Over the past few days, reciprocal steps have emerged between the Syrian government and the SDF, including SDF operations to release several detainees it holds, in coordination with security bodies in al-Hasakah, though no precise figures have yet been announced.
In return, the Syrian government prepared lists including hundreds of SDF fighters held in its custody. It has released some of them and is, according to official statements, working to free the rest through reciprocal measures aimed at gradually closing this file.
An expanded meeting was also held, bringing together officials from both sides, where the detainees’ file was discussed as one of the most prominent issues on the table, with emphasis on the importance of continuing this track to strengthen trust and stability in the region.
Exchange operations between the two sides have already begun during March, involving the release of dozens and then hundreds of detainees from both sides, within the framework of implementing an agreement reached at the beginning of this year.
The Autonomous Administration also announced a general amnesty covering categories of detainees under specific conditions, while excluding some cases, in a step seen as part of efforts aimed at easing this issue.
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