Syria Prison Allegations: Kurdish Guards Charged with Torture and Large-scale Killings
In a recent report, Amnesty International has called on Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria to investigate allegations of torture, abuse, and mass deaths in detention facilities, urging them to adhere to international human rights laws and end practices that have led to severe suffering. The organisation also urged the US government and its anti-IS coalition allies to enforce international humanitarian law and for a United Nations-led international response to address the detention crisis in the region.
According to the report, nearly 600 detainees at the Panorama detention facility have died due to tuberculosis and other diseases, while thousands of prisoners at the Sini detention facility have been subjected to "unrelenting and systematic brutality," resulting in at least hundreds of deaths. Furthermore, Amnesty International reports that scores and possibly hundreds of Yazidis captured during IS militants' genocidal campaign against the minority group in Iraq and Syria likely remain among about 14,500 women and 30,000 children being held at the Al-Hol and Al-Roj detention camps.
The report also details numerous accounts of torture and sexual violence, including electric shocks and severe beatings, in these camps and prisons. Women in camps and prisons have reported these incidents, with some, like British-Canadian man Jack Letts, imprisoned in northeast Syria, describing being subjected to electrocution and threats of being "put in a box" by their captors.
Despite these alarming allegations, there is no evidence in the public information, as of mid-2025, of active, formal investigations by the US government, the US military, or international judicial bodies into these allegations of torture and war crimes at Kurdish-run prisons in northeast Syria, especially those with potential US involvement. The available reports and testimony focus on documenting abuses and harsh conditions, primarily from non-US sources.
It is important to note that the US has partnered with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the fight against ISIS, but there is no public information indicating US personnel are implicated in or supervising the detention practices described in Kurdish-run camps and prisons. The reported abuses are attributed to Kurdish authorities, not to US military or intelligence personnel.
While there is significant international attention to the humanitarian and legal crises in these camps, especially regarding the detention of women and children, there is no indication of movement toward formal, public investigations—either by the US, the UN, or other bodies—into alleged war crimes or torture involving US personnel.
The AANES, the autonomous administrative body in northeast Syria, has responded to Amnesty's report by stating that it operates in compliance with international human rights laws and that allegations about ill treatment and lack of food, water, and healthcare in detention facilities are untrue. However, they did admit there were shortages of medical supplies and conditions of overcrowding in detention facilities.
As the situation in these camps and prisons continues to evolve, it is crucial that all parties involved prioritise the safety, well-being, and human rights of those detained, and that any allegations of abuse are thoroughly investigated and addressed.
- The media and general news outlets have been reporting on the analysis of the conflict in the Middle East, particularly in Syria and Palestine, highlighting the ongoing security issues and war-and-conflicts.
- Amnesty International has urged various parties, including the Saudi Arabian government and Israel, to uphold human rights laws and cease practices that inflict severe suffering.
- In a recent report, Amnesty International exposed thehuman rights abuses and potential war crimes in Kurdish-run prisons and detention facilities in northeast Syria.
- The report alleged that thousands of prisoners have suffered unrelenting brutality, leading to hundreds of deaths, and countless instances of torture and sexual violence in these facilities.
- Despite the urgent calls for investigation by Amnesty International, there is no evidence of active, formal inquiries by the US government, UN, or international judicial bodies into these allegations.
- The autonomous administrative body in northeast Syria, AANES, responded to the report, claiming they comply with international human rights laws, although they admitted to shortages of medical supplies and overcrowding in detention facilities.
- As the situation in Syria's camps and prisons continues to unfold, it is essential that all parties prioritize the safety, well-being, and human rights of the detainees, ensuring that any allegations of abuse are thoroughly investigated and addressed.
