Families demand answers as Syria seeks return of detainees sent to Iraq

As Damascus and the SDF move to implement their Jan. 29 agreement, the fate of thousands transferred from northeastern Syrian prisons to Iraq has resurfaced as a complex security, legal and humanitarian issue. Iraqi authorities say 5,704 detainees from 61 countries were transferred, including 3,543 Syrians. Syrian officials — including the deputy governor of al-Hasakah and the presidential team overseeing the deal — say the General Intelligence Service and Foreign Ministry are reviewing files and preparing to receive batches of deportees while distinguishing between proven suspects and those held arbitrarily. Relatives in al-Hol, Tal Brak and other areas have staged repeated protests demanding information about missing sons and clearer communication from authorities.

Human Rights Watch has warned that cross-border transfers risk enforced disappearance, torture and unfair trials and raised concerns about possible U.S. complicity in transfers carried out during coalition operations. Syrian legal experts also contest the legitimacy of trying Syrians in Iraqi courts, citing differences in legal systems, long pretrial detention, cases involving minors, and weak due-process guarantees. With families pressing for returns and trials under Syrian law, the detainee file threatens to become a prolonged humanitarian and legal crisis unless transparent procedures and safeguards are established, as reported by Enab Baladi