Amnesty International Says Human Rights and International Law Must Guide Action in Northeast Syria

Amnesty International Says Human Rights and International Law Must Guide Action in Northeast Syria
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Amnesty International has urged Syrian authorities to ensure that human rights and international law are central to any future actions in northeast Syria, following repeated clashes between the Syrian government and the Kurdish‑led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), including recent transfers of detention facilities holding people linked to the Islamic State (IS).

In a report published this week, Christine Beckerle, deputy director of Amnesty’s Middle East and North Africa regional office, said the Syrian authorities, in coordination with the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, should conduct screening procedures in detention centres and camps in line with human rights standards. The aim, she said, should be to identify individuals who need to be investigated and prosecuted for serious crimes under international or local law, and distinguish them from those who should be returned to their home countries or released. Beckerle stressed that any judicial process must uphold international fair trial standards and expressly avoid the death penalty.

Amnesty’s statement also called for urgent action to secure evidence of crimes committed by IS, including maintaining access to atrocity sites and mass graves, and preserving documentary evidence in detention facilities. According to the organization, this documentation is essential for determining the fate of those allegedly forcibly disappeared and for enabling future prosecutions of individuals responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity.