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The Hague – Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR)
Since November 29, 2024, the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) has documented large-scale raids and mass arrests carried out by the Syrian regime’s military police, army forces, and security forces. These operations have targeted hundreds of young men and even boys for the purpose of conscripting them and deploying them immediately to the frontlines in northern Syria.
These campaigns coincide with a military escalation by the regime in response to the launch of the large-scale offensive codenamed Deter Aggression on November 27, 2024, by armed opposition factions and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Meanwhile, the Syrian National Army (SNA) launched a separate offensive on November 30, 2024, codenamed Dawn of Freedom. Armed opposition factions have since taken control of large swathes of territory in the governorates of Aleppo, Idlib, and Hama.
These arrest campaigns, targeting boys and men aged from 17 to 45, including those with military service exemption or deferral certification, have been conducted in raids on markets, residential neighborhoods, streets and other public places. These arrests also targeted individuals who had agreed to settle their security status, as well as a number of refugees who returned from Lebanon in September 2024 following hostilities between Lebanon and Israel.
According to SNHR’s estimates, regime forces have arrested about 1,000 individuals in these campaigns. Those arrested have been immediately deployed to combat zones without undergoing any military training or legal procedures. These practices expose the detainees to immediate and severe danger amidst ongoing military operations.
