257 cases of abduction, enforced disappearance documented in Syria since beginning of 2026

Today, the Committees for the Defense of Democratic Freedoms and Human Rights in Syria issued a statement on the occasion of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances. The statement said:

“Every year, the Committees for the Defense of Democratic Freedoms and Human Rights in Syria commemorate the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances on August 30, in order to remember those who have been subjected to this practice, to stand with everyone who has suffered and endured pain as a result of this conduct, and to make every effort to combat enforced disappearance and uncover the fate of those who have disappeared.”

The committees considered the continued disappearance of these individuals, the interruption of contact and communication with them, and the lack of any information about their fate to constitute a clear threat to their lives.

They called on all governmental and non-governmental entities that carry out arbitrary detention, abduction, or enforced disappearance to disclose the fate of those affected and immediately release them without conditions or restrictions. They also called on these entities to cease such inhumane practices, which take place outside the law and constitute a blatant violation of the fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed by all relevant international charters and conventions, particularly general international law and international human rights law.

The committees stated that all cases of abduction, enforced disappearance, and arbitrary detention of Syrian citizens in general are inhumane, condemnable, and reprehensible practices, as well as international crimes against humanity that require accountability and prosecution.

They explained that “the crime of enforced disappearance continues to affect many Syrian citizens. The number of victims of abduction and enforced disappearance since the beginning of 2026 has risen to 257 people, including 78 women and 41 children, in several Syrian governorates. Some abductions and disappearances were carried out for retaliatory and sectarian motives.”

According to the committees, the number of victims was 83 in Homs and its countryside, 63 in Tartus and its countryside, 42 in Latakia and its countryside, 38 in Hama and its countryside, 4 in Damascus and its countryside, 6 in Suwayda and its countryside, 5 in Daraa and its countryside, 5 in Aleppo and its countryside, 7 in Raqqa and its countryside, and 4 in Hasakah and its countryside. In addition, 52 people were reportedly abducted by Israeli forces, including 16 children and 4 women.

The committees referred to testimonies of people being abducted from their homes, public roads, stations, and public facilities. They also reported that some victims were transferred through security or military checkpoints affiliated with the transitional authorities and detained in undisclosed locations. Some were reportedly subjected to threats, coercion, sexual violence, or attempts to force changes in their appearance and religious identity.

The committees called on the Syrian government, which they said bears responsibility for safeguarding the security and safety of citizens throughout Syrian territory, to take the following urgent measures:

1. Immediately halt all forms of detention, abduction, and enforced disappearance, regardless of whether they are justified on material or non-material grounds, and release all abducted and detained persons without conditions or restrictions.

2. Act swiftly to determine the fate of all abducted persons and secure their release, including Syrian women, children, elderly people, and men held by all Syrian and non-Syrian parties, without conditions or restrictions. They also called for those responsible to be required to provide prompt and appropriate compensation for the harm suffered by victims of abduction and enforced disappearance, noting that their abduction constitutes a blatant violation of all relevant local, regional, and international laws, charters, and treaties concerning the protection of human rights.

3. Act swiftly to immediately determine the fate of missing persons and announce who remains alive and who has been killed or executed for political or other reasons.

4. Release those who have been arbitrarily detained unless they have been charged with a recognized criminal offense and promptly brought to trial in proceedings that meet fair-trial standards. They also called for ensuring that such proceedings are consistent with the standards and principles adopted by United Nations bodies.

5. Prevent government security agencies and all non-governmental armed groups from interfering in citizens’ lives by ending the pursuit, abduction, detention, and disappearance of citizens, intellectuals, and activists without a trace, including for the purpose of negotiating their release in exchange for money or for other abducted or detained persons held by opposing parties.

The Committees for the Defense of Democratic Freedoms and Human Rights in Syria stressed that pursuing those accused of committing serious violations is a legal and moral obligation. They emphasized the need to uphold fair-trial guarantees and the rule of law in a manner that protects the rights of detainees regardless of the nature of the acts attributed to them.

The committees called on the transitional government to issue instructions to security agencies stipulating that no arrest or detention may be carried out except pursuant to a judicial warrant; that detainees must be informed of the reasons for their detention; and that they must be allowed to contact a lawyer and appear before a judge within 48 hours. They also called for the publication of periodic lists containing the names of detainees and the reasons for their detention.

They further called for the International Committee of the Red Cross and relevant international bodies to be granted unrestricted access to detention centers, for investigations to be conducted into patterns of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance during the transitional period, and for efforts to trace the fate of forcibly disappeared persons. They also called for keeping the cases of detainees and missing persons open and strengthening cooperation with Syrian human rights organizations.

ANHA