Syria says 1,500 detainees released from SDF-run prisons in four batches

As many as 1,500 detainees have been released from prisons run by the SDF group in northeastern Syria in four batches, a Syrian official said Monday. Ahmed al-Hilali, spokesman for the Syrian presidential team, told Al-Ikhbariya television that around 500 detainees remain in custody and their cases will be reviewed in the coming period.

Integration agreement

Al-Hilali said the releases were carried out as part of an agreement reached earlier this year between the Syrian government and the SDF. He described the detainee issue as a humanitarian one, and said the SDF is continuing to move toward integration with the Syrian state. The spokesman said current arrangements provide for prisons under SDF control to be transferred to prison authorities in the justice and interior ministries.

Release batches

He added that another batch of detainees will be released next week and that the current releases are taking place without conditions. It was the fourth group of detainees that was released on Monday. The third batch, released Saturday, included 91 detainees. The first and second groups were released on March 10 and March 19, with 400 detainees freed in the second batch, while no figure was announced for the first.

Background

Many of the detainees were held during years of YPG/SDF control over the region on accusations related to loyalty to the Syrian government or opposition to the group's policies. On Jan. 30, the Syrian government announced that it had reached a comprehensive agreement with the SDF aimed at ending divisions in the country and launching a new phase of integration.