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Damascus – The Syrian Network for Human Rights
Between September 29 and October 5, 2025, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) carried out a series of arbitrary detentions targeting at least 113 individuals, including 12 children and several institute students, in most neighborhoods of Raqqa city and several areas under their control in Deir Ez-Zor governorate. At the time of writing, the destination of the majority of detainees remains unknown.
According to reliable local and field sources, these raids targeted the detainees’ transportation to the forces’ forced recruitment camps. The campaign spanned dozens of neighborhoods and areas, most notably: the 23 February neighborhood, Wadi Street, the Karajat area, and the Ta’minat housing complex in Raqqa city, and the town of Dhiban in Deir Ez-Zor governorate. Additionally, checkpoints at the entrances to Raqqa city and surrounding villages were also targeted, where additional detentions were recorded.
The violations included physical assaults committed by some members of the force carrying out the raids against a number of detainees. The raids and arrests are still ongoing at the time of this statement. These violations have led to escalating tensions and resentment between local residents and security personnel, prompting the Syrian Democratic Forces to release approximately 73 detainees, including four children, after several days of detention.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights confirms that it is continuing to monitor and document on the ground the detentions carried out over the past few days. It is working to determine the fate of the detainees and their locations of detention, and to document the human rights violations that accompanied these operations.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights condemns all forms of forced conscription practiced by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which have witnessed a significant escalation recently, particularly through detentions and raids targeting civilians, children, and college students. The Network affirms that these practices constitute a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, particularly the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which prohibits the recruitment or involvement of children in military operations. These operations are carried out outside the framework of the law, using methods that are degrading and violate human dignity, and without informing detainees or their families of their fate.
The network stresses the need to take clear measures to ensure accountability for perpetrators of these violations and prevent their recurrence. These measures include an immediate halt to all forms of forced conscription, the release of all those detained for refusing to participate in forced conscription, and strict adherence to legal and human rights standards in the treatment of civilians in areas under SDF control.
Legal Conclusions
- A flagrant violation of the prohibition of arbitrary detention and forced recruitment: The detentions carried out by members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) with the intent of forcing civilians into forced recruitment and conscription camps constitute a clear violation of Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibits deprivation of liberty without legal basis, and of Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions, which guarantees the protection of liberty and security of person in non-international armed conflicts.
- Violation of the principle of protecting civilians and children in armed conflict: The detention of civilians, including children and college students, with the intent of forcing them to participate in hostilities constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law, particularly Articles 4 and 13 of Additional Protocol II, which prohibit the targeting of civilians and coercion of civilians to participate in hostilities.
- Legal Responsibility for Torture and Ill-Treatment: The physical abuse suffered by detainees during detention constitutes a violation of Article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and a breach of the obligations stipulated in the Convention against Torture, particularly Article 2, giving rise to individual criminal responsibility for perpetrators of violations and those who ordered or supervised them.
- Specific Violation of Children’s Rights: The recruitment or detention of children for forced recruitment constitutes a clear violation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (Articles 37 and 38) and is considered a grave violation that may amount to a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
- Responsibility of the Syrian Democratic Forces Command: As the Syrian Democratic Forces are the de facto authority controlling the affected areas and enjoying de facto self-administration, their leadership bears legal responsibility for violations committed by their members in accordance with the principle of command responsibility in international law, which includes the duty to prevent, punish, and deter the recurrence of violations.
SNHR calls for and recommend the following:
- The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the International Commission of Inquiry, and States supporting the SDF:
- Exert greater pressure on the Syrian Democratic Forces to immediately release all arbitrarily detained persons and reveal the fate of those forcibly disappeared, particularly those at risk of being recruited into military operations.
- Include these violations in the reports of the Human Rights Council and relevant international mechanisms, including the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria, with a focus on patterns of forced conscription and unlawful detention.
- The Syrian Government:
- Include the issue of detainees and forcibly disappeared persons among the priorities of negotiations with the Syrian Democratic Forces.
- Provide legal and psychological support to the families of detainees and forcibly disappeared persons, and work to document cases in cooperation with human rights organizations.
- Civil society and international human rights organizations:
- Documenting and collecting evidence related to violations by the Syrian Democratic Forces and submitting it to relevant international bodies.
- Providing legal support to victims and their families and contributing to efforts to hold perpetrators accountable.
- Raising awareness of the seriousness of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance and advocating for respect for human rights in all areas of Syria.
- Syrian Democratic Forces:
- Immediately release all detainees, reveal the fate of those forcibly disappeared, and ensure that they are not used for any direct or indirect military activity.
- Conduct independent and transparent investigations and hold accountable those responsible for arrests and the accompanying violations.
- Ensure compensation for victims for the material and moral damages they have suffered.
