Syrian regime carried out wave of arbitrary arrests against former opponents who surrendered under 'reconciliation' deals brokered by Moscow - Human Rights Watch
A truck removes rubble from the street at Palestinian refugee camp Yarmouk in the capital Damascus in Syria. October 6, 2018.
The so-called "reconciliation" agreements that restored regime control over swathes of central and southern Syria last year were heavily criticised from the start because they were signed under the pressure of military blockade and intense air and artillery bombardment.But thousands of residents, particularly former fighters and their families, chose to be evacuated to camps in remaining rebel-held territory rather than accept renewed rule by Bashar al Assad's regime.
It said it had documented 11 cases of arbitrary detention and disappearance in three areas retaken by regime forces last year – the southern province of Daraa, the Eastern Ghouta suburbs of Damascus and southern neighbourhoods of the capital."Active combat has ended in much of Syria, but nothing has changed in the way intelligence branches trample rights of perceived opponents of Assad's rule," said HRW's acting Middle East director, Lama Fakih.
HRW said those targeted included family members as well former opposition activists and rebel fighters.
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