Syrian authorities to review all detainee cases after taking over northeastern prisons

ISTANBUL

Syrian authorities will review the cases of all detainees held in prisons recently taken over from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a senior Interior Ministry official said late on Monday, as Damascus moves to reassert state authority in the country’s northeast.

Syria’s deputy interior minister for security affairs, Maj. Gen. Abdel-Qader Tahhan, said government security forces have been deployed across northern Raqqa and eastern Deir ez-Zor provinces to maintain public order, protect civilians' property, and prevent any security breakdown following the handover of territory.

“Our role as the Interior Ministry is to stabilize these areas and ensure the safety of civilians,” al-Tahhan told reporters in Raqqa. “We have deployed security units and checkpoints to protect both public and private property and to firmly establish security.”

He said authorities have begun taking control of detention facilities previously run by the SDF, warning that the potential escape of ISIS (Daesh) detainees represents a serious security concern.

“These prisons hold Daesh elements, as well as other detainees,” he said. “Our immediate priority is to secure these facilities, prevent any escape attempts and ensure full control.”

Al-Tahhan acknowledged that some SDF elements may still be present in isolated locations but said government forces have established control on the ground through continuous security operations and monitoring.

Once the transfer of prisons is completed, he said, authorities will launch a comprehensive review of all detainee files, without exception, in coordination with the Justice Ministry and Interior Ministry in Damascus.

“There may be individuals with no connection whatsoever to Daesh,” he said. “Some cases could involve criminal offenses that will be referred to the courts. All detainees will be treated in accordance with the same legal procedures applied elsewhere in the country.”

He said the review process would take time but reaffirmed the government’s commitment to reassessing every case under Syrian law.

Al-Tahhan also urged residents in Raqqa and northeastern Hasakah to stay away from detention facilities, citing heightened security concerns and the risk of possible escape attempts by ISIS members.

The remarks came after Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa announced a nationwide ceasefire and a full integration agreement with the SDF, under which civil institutions and detention facilities are to be transferred to state control.

Under the agreement, SDF members are to be integrated individually into the Defense Ministry, while border crossings and key infrastructure, including oil and gas facilities, are to return to Damascus’ authority.

The SDF is dominated by the YPG, the Syrian branch of the PKK terrorist organization.