On 20 January 2022, ISIS attacked Al-Sina’a prison in Ghuwayran area of Al-Hasakah city, where more than 5,000 ISIS members and leaders are being detained. The attack spread fear among civilians, reminding them of ISIS’s bloody era during which thousands of crimes were committed against Syrians.
The massive attack was launched by extremist ISIS members in an attempt to free ISIS members and leaders, who belong to more than 50 different nationalities from around the world and led to the deaths of at least five civilians and the injury of many others by ISIS attackers who passed through neighborhoods close to the prison from the southern part of Al-Hasakah city.
As an unknown number of ISIS members spread through civilian neighborhoods around the prison, hiding in civilian homes and using civilians as human shields, more than 45,000 civilians fled from the neighborhoods of “Ghuwayran”, “Al-Zouhour / Hosh Al-Ba’er” and “Al-Nashwa” south of Al-Hasakah, to safer neighborhoods in Al-Hasakah city. Although most of the displaced families were sheltered in the homes of their relatives, many women and children remain at IDP reception centers in Al-Hasakah city in awful conditions, many without shelter from the snowstorm and harsh cold the region is currently experiencing.
The attack launched by ISIS cells on Ghuwayran prison in Al-Hasakah is one of the largest attacks carried out by the extremist group since its military defeat in its last strongholds in northern and eastern Syria in March 2019.
These developments are occurring as many countries continue to refuse to take back their ISIS-affiliated citizens, meaning that detention centers in northeast Syria are full of more than 10,000 fighters. These detention centers are a ticking bomb, threatening the stability of Syria, the region, and the entire world as ISIS attempts to regroup its ranks and resume its activities, gaining momentum in the second half of 2020 according to the “United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism”.
The organizations signing this statement affirm that failure to hold ISIS accountable for the violations it committed against Syrians is an ongoing crime against the victims and their families and believe that the recent attack on “Ghuwayran Prison” in Al-Hasakah represents a dangerous indication of the possible return of the terrorist group. They call on:
a. The International Coalition, Autonomous Administration, and International Humanitarian Organizations
1. To urgently take a series of emergency steps to improve the conditions of IDPs, and to ensure their safe return to their homes after the military operations end.
2. To reinforce the security and protection of facilities and prisons that hold ISIS fighters, in accordance with international standards until they are brought to fair trials, in addition to putting pressure once again on countries to take back their citizens and their families.
B. The United Nations Security Council
3. To establish a special investigation team, with a time-limited mandate, to collect, preserve, and store evidence inside and outside Syria of violations committed by ISIS that amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, and to identify all entities and individuals responsible for those violations and crimes.
4. To provide the necessary environment to start an immediate accountability process for all documented crimes and violations committed by ISIS during and after its control over areas of Syria throughout the period of its alleged caliphate.
The signatory organizations to the statement, in alphabetical order:
1. Aata Development For Organaization
2. Afrin media center
3. AFRIN PLATFORM
4. Al-Ahd
5. AlAseel Society
6. Albaghooz hope
7. Al-Diyar society
8. Al-Hasakah Organization for Relief and Deve
9. Al-Khaboor Association
10. ALLIED FOR PEACE
11. ALZajel organisation
12. Anoar algad
13. Ar raja organization for relief and development
14. Ashtar Development Organization
15. ashti center
16. ASO Analysis and Strategic Study Organization
17. Aso News Network
18. Assyrian Society for helping and Development
19. Atlas Relief And Development International
20. Awda For Development
21. Baladna organization for civil society
22. Balloon
23. Balsam Association
24. bani for Relief and Development
25. Better Hope for Tabqa
26. Better life organization
27. Better Tomorrow
28. Bezouq
29. BRIDES OF PEACE ORGANIZTION FOR DEVELORMENT
30. Bukra Ahla Association for Relief and Development
31. Center for research and protection wemens’ right in Syria
32. Center for Research and studies Amuda
33. Colors for development and relief
34. Community Solidarity organization
35. Developmental Seeds Center
36. DAN for Relief and Development
37. DemoS
38. Dijla Organization for Development and Environment
39. DOZ e.V.
40. Emaar Mansura
41. enginerring for services
42. Enmaa Alfourat Organization
43. Ensaf for development
44. Euphrates for Relief and Development
45. Ezdina Organization
46. Fikra
47. For Feminist
48. Furatna for development
49. Future makers team
50. Future Women Organization
51. German Kurdish Forum
52. Green Branch
53. Green Womans association
54. Hajeen technicians organization
55. Hanin ALfurat
56. Hevdesti-Synergy Association for the Victims in Northeastern Syria
57. Hevy for relief and development
58. Hope Makers
59. House Of citizenship organization
60. Human for construction and development
61. Human Hope Team
62. Human Rights Organization
63. Human rights organizations Afrin- Syria
64. IDARA Organization
65. Inaash Organization for Development
66. Intensive Care Association
67. International war and disasters victims protection association (IPV )
68. Jan center for special needs
69. Jasmine Association
70. Jiyan Foundation for human rights
71. Jomard organization
72. Jsor alamal
73. Judy charity for developmant and relief
74. Khwtwa association
75. Komîta Zagon
76. Kurdish committee for Human rights
77. Kurdish Community Association in Stuttgart
78. Kurdish Legal Committee
79. Lamasat Al Khair Association for Relief and Development
80. Lights for development and construction
81. Manara Organization
82. Mitan Center for the Revival of Civil Society
83. moltaka alnhren
84. Nabd Team
85. New horizons
86. Nudem for Humanitarian Development and Rehabilitation of Persons With Disabilities
87. Okkaz organization
88. Organisation de la paix pour les droits humais
89. Oxygen shabab
90. Pace tent – Kobani
91. peace and civil society center /PCSC
92. Peace land
93. PECESHE_LEADERSNETWORK
94. PÊL- Civil Waves
95. Qadar Organization
96. Qudwa for construction and development
97. Radence of hope
98. Rahma Worldwide
99. Ras al Ain (Serê kaniyê) Platform
100. Reng
101. Rose organization
102. Sanabel Al-furat Development
103. Sara organization to combat violence against women
104. SÊL Organization
105. Shamal charity association
106. Shawshka Women’s Association
107. Shelan
108. SMART Center \ ZIRAK\
109. Society for Threatened Peoples
110. Stabilization Support Center
111. Swaaid for development
112. Swaedna Relief and Development Organization
113. Syria Help Organization
114. Syriac Cross Organization for Relief and Development
115. Syrian Center for Studies and Dialogue
116. Syrian foundation for stainable development
117. Syrian observatory for human rights
118. Syrians for Truth and Justice – STJ
119. Tadmrto Organization
120. Tamkeen
121. Tayif Humanitarian Organization
122. The civil Cooperation Team Organization
123. The Displaced Peoples Committee from the Occupied Region of Serê Kaniyê/Ras Al-Ain
124. The four seasons
125. Vision
126. Vulnerable People Rescue VPR
127. Wheat & Olive Platform
128. Women for Peace
129. Yiuth for change
130. ZAMEEN FOR DEVELOPMENT AND PEACEBUIDING