Syria: Six Men From the Same Village Disappeared Following Abduction by the Air Force Intelligence
On 11 and 19 July 2016, Alkarama and Human Rights Guardians wrote to the United Nations Working Group on Enforced Disappearances (WGEID) regarding the cases of four Syrian citizens from the village of Kafr al-Tun who disappeared in the Governorate of Hama in western central Syria between 2012 and 2013, their families remaining without information on their fates and whereabouts to date. They were all arrested during raids and waves of arrest conducted by the Air Force Intelligence, after which they were brought to unknown places of detention. Their families did not take any action after their disappearance, fearing reprisals or to be arrested themselves, as it is often the case.
Father and son missing since their arrest by the Air Force Intelligence
On 12 November 2012 at 4 am, Adnan Al Bakour, a 28-year-old electrician, was arrested at his house without a warrant in Kafr Al-Tun during a raid conducted by members of the Air Force Intelligence – affiliated to the Ministry of Defence – wearing civilian and military uniforms. Adnan, his 60-year-old mother and son were severely beaten during the arrest.
Less than two months later, on 2 January 2013, his father Sulaiman Al Bakour, a 61-year-old employee in military construction, was also arrested during a raid conducted at 3 am at his house by the same forces and severely beaten during the arrest, before being taken to an unknown location. The security forces stole 20 sheep and a car from Sulaiman during the arrest. Adnan and Sulaiman were last seen at the Hama military airport after their arrests, but remain disappeared since.
Four men from the Al Hamad family abducted by the Air Force Military
On 1 December 2012 at 1 am, two carpenters, Radwan Al Hamad, 54 years old, and his brother Mahdi Al Hamad, 60 years old, were arrested without a warrant in their homes during a raid conducted in the village of Karf al-Tun, by members of the Air Force Intelligence wearing civilian and military uniforms. Radwan and Mahdi were beaten during the arrest and last seen by a former detainee at the military airport of Hama a few days after their arrests, but both remain disappeared since.
On 24 February 2012, Inad Al Hamad, a 28 year-old student, and his cousin Adnan Al Hamad, a 29-year-old worker, were staying with their relatives in the village Marzaf-Muhradah in the Governorate of Hama when they were arrested during an operation called "Swarming ants campaign" conducted by members of the Air Force Intelligence wearing civilian and military uniforms. They arrested them and all their friends without providing any warrant. Inad and Adnan were last seen at the Hama military airport after their arrests by a former prisoner, but both remain disappeared since.
In the light of all these cases, which only represent a few of the thousands of disappearances occurring on a regular basis in Syria, Alkarama expressed grave concern over the fate of these individuals and the serious violations of their basic rights to the WGEID. We therefore solicited the UN Group's intervention with the Syrian authorities to ensure that the relatives of the six disappeared be immediately informed of their fate and whereabouts and that they be released or immediately placed under the protection of the law.
For more information or an interview, please contact media@alkarama.org (Tel: +41 22 734 1008).