The Syrian Observatory reports detentions without clear legal grounds and monetary demands for the release of two brothers, calling for revealing the fate of the three detainees.
Concerns have escalated among the Kurdish population in the countrysides of Aleppo and Raqqa following the documentation of three arrest cases targeting young men from the Kurdish community within just three days, without clear legal charges announced against them or disclosure of their fate, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
According to information obtained by the Observatory, General Security personnel stationed at the Qabban checkpoint in the Jalabiya sub-district, south of Kobani countryside, arrested a young Kurdish man on the night of August 12 after thoroughly searching his mobile phone while he was passing through the checkpoint.
According to reports, the young man was a former member of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) before he was taken to an unknown destination, with no confirmed information regarding the charges against him or the legal grounds for his arrest.
Hours later, a second arrest occurred at the same checkpoint. General Security personnel arrested the detainee’s brother after demanding that their family pay $3,000 USD in exchange for his release.
According to information provided to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, when the detainee’s brother arrived at the checkpoint to deliver the requested sum, he was also arrested. Personnel then demanded that the family pay an additional $3,000, bringing the total requested amount to $6,000 USD to secure the release of both brothers.
No clear legal justifications were provided for either detention, nor were the nature of the charges against the two young men or their place of detention known, amidst significant financial pressure on the family alongside promises of their release upon payment of the requested amounts.
In a third incident, a General Security patrol raided the home of a young Kurdish man on Friday morning in the town of Ain Issa, in the Raqqa countryside, and arrested him over a comment expressing his opinion on the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights’ social media page, according to local sources.
According to reports, the patrol raided the young man’s house and took him to an unknown destination without clarifying the legal reasons for his arrest or announcing any charges against him.
These concurrent incidents are raising growing concern among local residents, particularly as they targeted three young Kurdish men in just three days without public information regarding any legal violations committed by them or clear judicial proceedings taken against them, reinforcing fears of escalating arbitrary detentions targeting the Kurdish community in the countrysides of Kobani and Ain Issa.
In a related context, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has documented the arbitrary arrest of 460 civilians since the beginning of 2026 across various regions of Syria. According to the Observatory, this indicates the continuation of detentions outside clear legal frameworks, accompanied by violations of freedom of opinion and expression and citizens’ fundamental rights.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights considers that the continuation of detentions without public judicial warrants or clarification of the reasons for arrest, alongside reports of monetary demands for the release of detainees, represents a concerning indicator requiring transparent investigations and accountability for those responsible for any violations or illegal practices.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights demanded the immediate disclosure of the fate of the three detainees and their release unless clear and proven legal charges justify their continued detention. It also called for guaranteeing respect for public freedoms and citizens’ rights, as well as preventing security apparatuses and checkpoints from being used as tools for pressure, extortion, or restricting freedom of opinion and expression.
Note: This text is translated from the original Arabic version… Read the Arabic version:Click here
