Mothers demand release of detainees before Eid

Families of detainees from the Jazira region continue to demand that the fate of their sons be revealed and that they be released, as several of them have been held by the Syrian Interim Government since mid-January.

In this context, Halima Nabi, from the city of Qamishlo and the mother of Ismail Sheikhmous (18), spoke about her son, who lost contact with his family during the attacks on Deir Hafer last January.

Halima Nabi said that her son used to work with his father repairing cars and also volunteered in protecting the area.

She added: “On the morning of January 15, 2026, Ismail left home heading to the Deir Hafer area after the situation there escalated, and he remained in contact with us until the afternoon of January 17.”

She explained that on that day a repositioning of military forces in the Deir Hafer area was supposed to take place, after which contact with him was lost.

She added: “According to people who were released in the first batch of prisoners, they told us that they knew him and that he was detained with them in Aleppo.”

The prisoner’s mother said that families have been living in a state of waiting for months, adding:

“Every family that has a detainee knows our demand: to deliver our voice to the relevant authorities to follow up on the detainees’ file and work on securing their release.”

She noted that families had hoped their sons would return during Ramadan, but said: “Now Eid is approaching and our sons have still not returned.”

Halima Nabi called for intensifying popular movements to demand the release of detainees, saying:

“We call for marches and activities to demand our prisoners and also call for international intervention to secure their release.”

She also pointed out that the suffering of families is increasing day after day, explaining that Ismail’s father still waits for his son’s return since the announcement of the first group of prisoner releases. He sits outside the house every day waiting for him, despite his poor health, insisting on staying there until his son returns.

Halima Nabi concluded by saying:

“The hearts of mothers are burning for their sons. Some have become ill and others have lost their lives due to the pain of their sons’ captivity. Therefore, we demand the release of all our prisoners as soon as possible.”

ANHA