Council of Martyrs’ Families calls for clarification on the missing and release of detainees

The Council of Families of the Martyrs, the Wounded, the Prisoners, and the Missing in Kobanê called on the Syrian transitional government to clarify the fate of disappeared persons, release prisoners, and hand over the bodies of the martyrs to their families. The statement was read at Free Woman Square in Kobanê. Participants held banners with slogans such as “We demand our martyrs and missing” and “We want our children back.”

The statement was read by the council’s co-chair, Mustafa Eytu. The families accuse the Syrian transitional government and armed militias affiliated with it of serious human rights violations during the offensive launched in early January against the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria.

Accusations of serious abuses

The statement said that the attacks, which initially took place in the Kurdish-populated north of Aleppo and later spread to other areas of northeast Syria, undermined security and stability in the region and deepened tensions between different social groups.

Militias operating under the command of Damascus are accused of killings, mistreatment of bodies, massacres, as well as looting and robbery. It is also alleged that killings occurred based on cultural, political, or religious affiliation. The families also criticized that violations continue despite the ceasefire and integration agreement between the SDF and the Syrian transitional government.

Call for international pressure

According to the council, armed groups continue their practices by arbitrarily detaining people, withholding information about the missing, and refusing to hand over the bodies of the martyrs. The statement said that this constitutes a clear violation of international agreements as well as humanitarian and social norms.

The Council of Families of the Martyrs, Prisoners, and the Missing therefore called on the transitional government to disclose the fate of those concerned and to take concrete steps to resolve this humanitarian issue. At the same time, it urged international organizations and human rights institutions to exert pressure on those responsible. The aim, it said, should be to clarify the fate of the missing, release prisoners, and return the bodies of the martyrs to their families.