Sit-in in Damascus

Families and relatives of people they say are held in Israeli army prisons staged a sit-in outside the United Nations headquarters in Damascus on 19 May, handing their demands to the UN team in Damascus. Protesters said the demonstration represents relatives of 47 people who they accuse of being victims of enforced disappearance after arrests in southern Syria — including Quneitra, Daraa and the western Damascus countryside. Relatives, including Hussein Saad al-Din, described the detainees as civilians such as teachers, students, farmers and some minors, and said many were taken in what they called 'brutal' home raids; they reported that names and case files have been documented with the UN working group on enforced disappearances.

Demands and background

The protesters urged the UN secretary-general, the UN working group on enforced disappearances and the International Committee of the Red Cross to press Israeli authorities to disclose detainees' locations, allow ICRC access, ensure medical care and secure unconditional releases. They also called on the Syrian government to form a ministry committee to follow the file and said they would pursue legal action until relatives return. Families previously protested outside the Syrian Foreign Ministry on 26 April and met UNDOF representatives on 21 April to press the same demands amid ongoing reports of Israeli raids, checkpoints and arrests in Quneitra. as reported by Enab Baladi