Syria: Concierge Disappears From Hospital After Being Shot by Military Security

In October 2012, Fadhil Othman, a 31-year-old concierge from Qamishli – a city in north-eastern Syria on the border with Turkey – disappeared from the national hospital where he was being treated after being shot by members of the Military Security at a checkpoint. Missing since, Alkarama and Human Rights Guardians wrote to the UN Working Group on Enforced Disappearances (WGEID) on 26 November 2015, hoping it will lead to the clarification of his fate and whereabouts.

On 21 October 2012, Fadhil was driving his motorcycle with a friend close to the Dhabanah checkpoint about 40 kilometres south of Qamishli. When arriving at the checkpoint, members of the Military Security opened fire at Fadhil and his friend. The latter was killed, while Fadhil was severely injured and taken to the national hospital in Qamishli, where he underwent surgery.

Fadhil's family was not allowed to visit him during his stay at the hospital and after receiving medical treatment, he was taken to an unknown location by the Military Security. In fear of reprisals, Fadhil's family did not enquire about his whereabouts with national authorities. Instead, they turned to Alkarama and Human Rights Guardians, in the hope that these human rights NGOs could help locate Fadhil.

In view of these facts, the organisations seized the WGEID, asking this UN Special Procedure for the protection of human rights to call upon the Syrian authorities to immediately release Fadhil or, at the very least, to put him under the protection of the law by disclosing his whereabouts. Furthermore, his family should be able to visit him without any restriction.

Concerned over the widespread use of enforced disappearances and the systematic practice of torture in Syrian prisons, Alkarama calls on the Syrian authorities to:

• Put an end to the systematic violation of human rights, especially enforced disappearances and torture;
• Prosecute the perpetrators of these crimes; and
• Open investigations into all reported cases of disappearances.

For more information or an interview, please contact the media team at media@alkarama.org (Dir: +41 22 734 1008).