SDC holds Interim Govt responsible for Ghassan al-Youssef arrest, calls for his release

In a statement to the public regarding the arrest of its co-chair, the SDC denounced the act in the strongest terms, considering it an arbitrary and unacceptable violation of the foundations of political work, and an attempt to target national figures who chose to work openly and peacefully in service of their community and Syria.

The statement added: "The arrest of Ghassan al-Youssef constitutes a serious precedent that cannot be justified or overlooked and sends negative messages contradicting any talk of de-escalation or political openness. Targeting a well-known political figure active in supporting dialogue, institutional work, and seeking national solutions does not serve stability and does not align with the current stage, which should move towards reducing tension and building trust."

The SDC emphasized that al-Youssef, like other figures who worked within or alongside the Autonomous Administration, has always been part of the Syrian national fabric, supporting the path of negotiation, peaceful solutions, and national integration. Their choice to remain among their people and work under complex conditions was not an act of confrontation but an expression of national and ethical responsibility and a belief in Syria’s unity and the need for a democratic transition.

The council stressed that the Autonomous Administration was never a project of secession or separation but a Syrian initiative that emerged in the context of state collapse, aiming to protect the community, maintain civil peace, and pave the way for a comprehensive political solution. "Throughout its stages, this project has affirmed its commitment to Syria’s territorial unity and has relied on dialogue as the sole means to resolve disagreements," the statement added.

The SDC noted that targeting individuals who chose peaceful political work and holding local communities accountable for national choices that protected them from the former regime’s oppression is unacceptable and illegitimate. No authority has the right to punish people for remaining in their areas or participating in administrative experiments that safeguarded them during the war. These communities today need praise, reassurance, and guarantees, not measures that deepen their fears and wounds.

Accordingly, the SDC reiterated its demand for the immediate release of co-chair Ghassan al-Youssef, considering the continuation of his detention an escalation for which the responsible party bears full consequences. The council also explicitly condemned the policy of targeting national political figures and peaceful actors, rejecting the assignment of political or security responsibility to civilians and local communities for developments imposed by the conflict. It renewed its call to address these issues within a political framework that ensures stability and opens the door to dialogue and national understanding.

In conclusion, the statement affirmed: "While the Syrian Democratic Council expresses its clear and firm position, it simultaneously reiterates its unwavering commitment to peaceful political work and the pursuit of a comprehensive national solution that ensures Syria’s unity and sovereignty and lays the foundation for a new phase based on justice and democratic transition, away from exclusion and punishment.”

A-H 

ANHA