A route stretching from Afrin (Efrîn) to Shehba, from Kilis to Serêkaniyê, and from Raqqa (Reqa) to Qamishlo. This path traces the days of captivity of Avdan Mahmud, a young man from Afrin, his struggle for survival under harsh conditions and the hope he refused to lose despite all forms of pressure.
Mahmud said he was subjected to hunger, torture, psychological pressure, death threats and forced interrogations for 1 year, 3 months and 17 days in different prisons.
I experienced displacement, occupation and war
Avdan Mahmud, born in 1993 in Afrin, is one of the youngest in a Kurdish family of seven siblings. From 2015 onward, he took part in the ranks of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). When attacks on Afrin began in 2018, he fled with his family to the Shehba region.
He described that period as follows: “Afrin was occupied in 2018. Our house was hit; our olive trees were cut down. Our homes were looting. I am someone who has lived through displacement, occupation, war and resistance.”
2024: shifting dynamics and the beginning of captivity
On 28 November 2024, the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime led to shifting dynamics across many parts of Syria. Attacks intensified along the Aleppo and Shehba line by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and armed groups affiliated with Turkey. During this period, Mahmud, who was among the civilians withdrawing from Shehba, was captured by armed members of the Sultan Murad group.
He summarized his experience as follows: “They targeted me because I am Kurdish. We were detained collectively and subjected to torture for days.”
Transfer to Kilis and interrogation
After being captured, Mahmud was taken to the Turkish city of Kilis, where he was handed over to Turkish intelligence. He said he was subjected to both physical and psychological torture during interrogation: “They repeatedly asked me, ‘Are you Kurdish? Why did you join the SDF?’ They filmed me and tried to blackmail me. They kept me in solitary confinement for days, saying, ‘We will kill you and hand your body over to your family.’”
During this period, his family had no information about his whereabouts.
Al-Raia prison: “The worst prison in Syria”
Mahmud was later transferred to al-Raia prison. He described the conditions as follows: “al-Raia was the worst place I have ever seen. There are people who have been held there for 10 years. Torture, ill-treatment, hunger… everything was there.”
After nearly a year of detention, Mahmud was taken out of Kilis Prison and transferred to Serêkaniyê.
Pressure and psychological torture in Serêkaniyê
Mahmud said conditions in Serêkaniyê were also harsh, adding that he was pressured to leave the SDF. He said: “Their aim was to break our will and force us to surrender. The psychological torture was very intense.”
I was subjected to everything
Mahmud said: “For 1 year, 3 months and 17 days, I was subjected to torture, psychological pressure, hunger, thirst, sleep deprivation, attempts to break my will, intimidation and repression in prisons. I went through everything. But in the end, I was reunited with my family and friends.”
The final stage of captivity
After being transferred from Serêkaniyê, Mahmud was handed over to the Syrian Interim Government. He was held in Raqqa for more than a month, where he was informed that a prisoner exchange would take place. He said: “They told us we would return to our families. We heard there would be a prisoner exchange, and then they released us. Despite all these difficult days, I never lost hope. I always believed that one day I would be reunited with my family. Now I am with them, and I am happy.”
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