Syrians detained, killed in southern cradle of revolt: UN
At least 380 civilians have been arrested in Syria’s south
and 11 civilians serving on local councils and former fighters have been killed
or attacked there since the government retook the area, the United Nations said
on Tuesday, according to Reuters.
The UN human rights office said the incidents took place in
the province of Deraa, where peaceful protests against 40 years of autocratic
Assad family rule began in 2011 and were met by deadly force before spreading
across the country.
The report by the UN rights office said that the 11 cases
included fatal drive-by shootings and attempted murders, but it was not in a
position to identify any perpetrators as it has no presence in Syria, which has
been gripped by war since 2011.
The report said that the incidents, which it described as
“most likely reprisals committed by parties to the conflict”, had taken place
despite attempts at reconciliation between former combatants.
Syrian authorities could not immediately be reached for
comment.
The Syrian army, aided by Russian airpower and Iranian
militias, retook control of Deraa city from rebel forces in July on its way to
regaining control of the bulk of Syrian territory.
But residents of the city say disaffection has been growing
as President Bashar al-Assad’s secret police once more tighten their control
and a campaign of arrests has sowed widespread fear.
The rights office had received reports that from July 26,
2018 to March 13, 2019, former members of armed groups and civilians who joined
government bodies in the province including civilian local councils were
victims of what appear to have been “targeted killings,” spokeswoman Marta
Hurtado told a news briefing.
Although participation in the councils is required under
reconciliation agreements, “clearly they (the assailants) are targeting former
opposition members or perceived opposition members,” Hurtado said.
At least 380 people were arrested or detained in the period,
including three who had recently returned after fleeing the war, she said. The
reasons were unclear, and little or no information is given to the families,
Hurtado said, adding that some arrests were said to be linked to suspicion of
“terrorism”.
About 150 were released after a few days, but at least 230
have disappeared into custody, she said.
“In some cases we know that they have been detained to
extract information, either what happened in the past or how the opposition is
currently acting, but in general the bottom line is that they don’t inform why
these detentions are taking place,” Hurtado said.
The arrests have also alarmed activists, who said they had
targeted former armed and political opposition leaders, media activists, aid
workers, defectors, and family members.
“Active combat has ended in much of Syria, but nothing has
changed in the way intelligence branches trample rights of perceived opponents
of Assad’s rule,” Lama Fakih, acting Middle East director at Human Rights
Watch, said in a statement.
“Lack of due process, arbitrary arrests, and harassment,
even in so-called reconciled areas, speak louder than empty government promises
of return, reform, and reconciliation.”