Residents of Derbassiyeh call for disclosure of fate of detained sons

Dozens of families in Derbassiyeh are living in a state of anxiety and anticipation due to the absence of confirmed information about their sons who went missing or were detained during recent battles, amid contradictory accounts suggesting either their death or capture.

In this context, Nariman Ramadan, a resident originally from the Syrian coast and currently living in Derbassiyeh, appealed to the relevant authorities to disclose the fate of her husband, who was reportedly detained in the “Sabah al-Kheir” area in the countryside of Raqqa, after joining the ranks of the Syrian Democratic Forces last year.

Nariman said her husband moved to Derbassiyeh due to difficult financial conditions faced by the family on the coast, before she later joined him with their children after they ran out of money and could no longer secure basic needs.

She explained that her husband was part of a group of forces traveling on the Hasakah road toward the city of Hasakah, when they were attacked, forcing them to retreat toward Raqqa.

She stated that he was detained in the Sabah al-Kheir area on December 18 at around 5 p.m., and since then all contact with him has been completely lost.

Nariman said she did not receive any information about her husband for a month and a half, before being contacted by a member of the interim government who told her that her husband was “in Raqqa” and warned her not to search for him.

She added that she later saw a video showing her husband being beaten during an interrogation about his identity and affiliation, a scene that deepened her fear and concern over his fate.

Nariman now lives in Derbassiyeh with her two children without a breadwinner since her husband’s detention. She is calling on relevant authorities and human rights organizations to intervene, reveal his fate, and secure his release as soon as possible, ending the family’s suffering.

In another case, Diab Hussein, also from Derbassiyeh, called for disclosure of the fate of his son, Barzan Hussein, nearly nine months after his detention, amid conflicting reports about his location and health condition.

He said his son had been undergoing a training course at Jabal Abdul Aziz lasting four months. After completing the training and following the outbreak of clashes in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood and the declaration of general mobilization at the time, all contact with Barzan was lost.

The family repeatedly tried to search and inquire about him but received contradictory information. Some sources claimed he was in Raqqa, while a medic in Al-Shaddadi informed them that their son was injured and detained by the interim government, without any official confirmation.

Diab Hussein added that some released detainees from the third batch told him that his son Barzan was being held in a prison in the city of Aleppo.

He also noted that he showed his son’s photo to detainees released in the fourth batch, who also confirmed that he was being held there, with talk of a possible upcoming release of another group of detainees.

He said: “This is all we know about our son so far. The information is contradictory and no one is giving us a clear answer. We can no longer bear the waiting. All we want is the return of our son Barzan home after months of absence and uncertainty.”

He urged the relevant authorities, human rights organizations, and the interim government to work toward the release of all detainees and their return to their families, stressing that any successful integration process must be accompanied by unconditional releases.

In the same context, Hinda Khidr, another resident of Derbassiyeh, also called for clarification regarding the fate of her son, Mahmoud Faisal Ali, after the family received conflicting information over recent months between claims of his death and detention.

Hinda Khidr said that her son participated in the early battles in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, and during that period the family received information claiming he had been killed. However, they did not receive his body, which raised doubts from the beginning.

Five days later, the family received new information indicating that he was alive and in good health, but later they were again told he had been killed.

She explained that she received no information about him for twenty days, until she was once again informed on New Year’s Day that he had been killed. The family then requested any proof, remains, or a body, but received nothing, despite holding official funeral ceremonies for him.

Hinda added that her son’s friends themselves confirmed they were uncertain about the reports of his death and were still waiting to know his true fate.

She also confirmed that two batches of released detainees later recognized photos of Mahmoud and informed the family that he was alive and being held with them in a prison in the city of Aleppo.

She further noted that the latest batch of released detainees confirmed that Mahmoud is still alive, that he was being called by his real name inside the prison, and that around one hundred prisoners were transferred from a prison in Aleppo to a prison in Manbij before their release.

Hinda concluded her statement by saying: “We want all detainees to return to their families, and for my son to be among them. I want my voice to reach public opinion.”

ANHA