What happens in northeastern Syria
Eight thousand dollars to get out of jail. Thus, several jihadists of the Islamic State (Isis) have regained freedom in northeastern Syria, as part of a “ reconciliation ” program with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (Fds). About ten thousand men with alleged ties to ISIS are held in three overcrowded prisons, including eight thousand Syrians and Iraqis, and two thousand foreigners. Anyone can be released by paying a fine without a trial. The Guardian writes it citing interviews obtained exclusively with two freed men and official documents of the penitentiaries. The release form states that the militiamen who have returned to freedom undertake not to rejoin any armed organization and to leave the northern and eastern parts of Syria under the control of the FDS. After being released, the men contacted by the Guardian reunited with their wives and children, who were also released from al-Hawl detention camp. They then traveled to Idlib province in northern Syria and crossed the border into Turkey.
A spokesman for the FDS, Farhad Shami, denied the Guardian that the release document was official. ” The FDS previously released some prisoners who had ties to ISIS, but their hands were not stained with the blood of innocent civilians and they had not committed any crime. Either they were employees in the offices run by ISIS or they were forced to join ISIS, “he said.” Those who have been released are monitored by the security forces to make sure they do not try to rejoin ISIS, “he added. Kurdish exponent. The US-led international military coalition to fight ISIS has distanced itself, in a comment sent to the Guardian. ” The coalition does not control or manage detention facilities or camps for internally displaced persons. detention camps and camps for internally displaced persons are both run only by FDS in northeastern Syria, “an e-mail read.
One of the men contacted by the Guardian, Abu Jafar who was released in March, was an ISIS security officer in Raqqa in northern Syria. He worked for a section known for punishing and executing local inhabitants who did not follow the strict interpretation of Islam of the jihadist group. In addition to the $ 8,000 fine, Abu Jafar said he had paid another $ 22,000 in bribes to various FDS officials. He claimed that he joined ISIS only for economic and not ideological reasons. The other released contacted by the Guardian is Abu Muhammad, of Deir ez-Zor, who led a fighting unit in the battle against the FDS for the city of Kobani in 2014. He survived five years on the front line, until he was was arrested in Baghuz in 2019. He was released along with his family in January of this year.
Source-www.adnkronos.com