The Syrian Future Movement is following the news coming from the city of Qamishli, where hundreds of citizens (independent sources estimate their number at between 700 and 1,000) held a peaceful demonstration, demanding that the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Autonomous Administration of Syrian Kurdistan immediately disclose the fate of hundreds of abductees, detainees, and forcibly disappeared persons held by them. The majority of these individuals are from Arab areas (Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor, and eastern Aleppo) and some from Kurdish areas.
The Syrian Future Movement affirms that this demonstration, which began on April 4, 2026, is a legitimate expression of genuine human suffering and is not the first of its kind. Similar demonstrations have taken place in the cities of Raqqa, Hasakah, and Deir ez-Zor over the past two years, demanding the same.
The Syrian Future Movement bases its analysis on accurate statistics and reports that illustrate the scale of this issue:
- Number of detainees and forcibly disappeared persons in SDF detention centers: According to a report issued by the Syrian Network for Human Rights on February 10, 2026, the number of people arbitrarily detained or forcibly disappeared in prisons and detention centers run by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) exceeded 13,400, including more than 2,100 minors and 850 women, the majority of whom are from the Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa governorates.
- Documented cases of enforced disappearance since 2023: The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), in its report issued on January 15, 2026, documented at least 4,700 cases of enforced disappearance in SDF-controlled areas, whose fate remains unknown.
- Detention without trial: A report by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) issued on March 25, 2026, indicated that more than 60% of those detained in SDF-run detention centers are held without specific charges or access to a fair trial, in clear violation of Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The Syrian Future Movement rejects any security or military justification for the continued detention of individuals without charges or a fair trial. It affirms that these practices undermine any moral or political legitimacy that any armed group may claim and fuel feelings of injustice and revenge that threaten future civil peace.
The Syrian Future Movement recommends:
- That the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Autonomous Administration immediately and comprehensively disclose the fate of all detainees and those forcibly disappeared in their custody, and submit lists of their names, places of detention, and legal status to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
- Immediately allow independent international commissions (the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and credible human rights organizations) to visit all detention centers and prisons in areas under their control, without restrictions or prior warnings.
- Immediately release all detainees who have not been specifically charged with war crimes or crimes against humanity, and refer those who are charged to independent civilian courts that guarantee the rights of defense and a fair trial.
- Establish an independent national mechanism, under the supervision of the United Nations, to document cases of enforced disappearance throughout Syria (by all parties), and work to determine the fate of the disappeared, return their remains to their families, or resolve the legal status of those still alive.
The Syrian Future Movement expresses its full solidarity with the families of the abducted and missing in Qamishli and all other Syrian regions, and affirms that their cause is a national issue before it is a humanitarian one.
We believe that lasting peace in Syria will not be achieved without revealing the fate of every missing person and holding accountable all those responsible for arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance, regardless of their affiliation.
