Kurdish forces released 50 Syrian detainees with suspected ties to the Islamic State (IS) on Monday as part of an amnesty deal that could result in the release of between 1,000 and 1,500 prisoners, a regional security official confirmed.
The agreement, which exclusively applies to Syrian nationals, was reached between the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) and local tribal leaders on May 25, following recommendations from a meeting of Syrian tribes and community representatives.
In July, the administration announced a general amnesty for “crimes committed by Syrians in accordance with the law on combating terrorism and for offenses that undermine regional security.”
Reber Kalo, an official with Asayish, the semi-autonomous region’s internal security force, confirmed the release while emphasizing that “no one who participated in the fighting” would be included in the deal.
An AFP photographer present at the scene witnessed the transfer of the detainees to tribal leaders in the northeastern city of Hasakah.
Detention facilities
Thousands of individuals affiliated with IS remain in the custody of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-dominated alliance of militias and Arab rebel groups that acts as the official military wing of AANES.
The SDF, alongside an international military intervention led by the United States, was able to end IS control in the region in 2019; however, the Kurdish administration has since been saddled with policing a large population still loyal to the former quasi-state.
Currently, 24 detention facilities and two large camps, Al-Hol and Roj, house about 56,000 people, including 30,000 children.