Rojava, UK concerned over reports of prisoner death under torture
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Rojava officials and the United Kingdom on Friday expressed concern over the death of a Kurdish man who was allegedly tortured in a northeast Syria jail, and called for an investigation.
The case of Amin Issa Ali was discussed in a meeting of the senior Rojava officials, including co-chair of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) Amina Omar, commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazloum Abdi, and the co-chair of the executive council of the Autonomous Administration of northeast Syria (Rojava) Abd Hamid al-Mahbash.
They said they will follow up on an investigation into the "circumstances and merits" of Ali's death, according to a statement released after their meeting.
Ali, a member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Syria (KDP-S), was arrested in Hasaka on May 22 and was reported dead 38 days later. His family accused the authorities of killing him under torture. Photos published on social media of Ali's body allegedly show burnt marks on his skin and his face bloody and swollen.
The Rojava officials said they reject “systemic abuse” in their institutions and violators must be held accountable.
The British Embassy in Syria also said it was concerned about the case and called for a "full" and "transparent" investigation. On Thursday, the United States had made a similar call.
Rojava authorities said Ali had been arrested on corruption and bribery charges and that he “was suffering from previous health problems.” They also claimed the photos of Ali’s body had been “fabricated.” Ali’s cousin, Hazhar Amin, told Rudaw on Tuesday that he took the photos and washed the body himself. “There are torture marks on my cousin’s shoulders,” he said.
The case of Amin Issa Ali was discussed in a meeting of the senior Rojava officials, including co-chair of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) Amina Omar, commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazloum Abdi, and the co-chair of the executive council of the Autonomous Administration of northeast Syria (Rojava) Abd Hamid al-Mahbash.
They said they will follow up on an investigation into the "circumstances and merits" of Ali's death, according to a statement released after their meeting.
Ali, a member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Syria (KDP-S), was arrested in Hasaka on May 22 and was reported dead 38 days later. His family accused the authorities of killing him under torture. Photos published on social media of Ali's body allegedly show burnt marks on his skin and his face bloody and swollen.
The Rojava officials said they reject “systemic abuse” in their institutions and violators must be held accountable.
The British Embassy in Syria also said it was concerned about the case and called for a "full" and "transparent" investigation. On Thursday, the United States had made a similar call.
Rojava authorities said Ali had been arrested on corruption and bribery charges and that he “was suffering from previous health problems.” They also claimed the photos of Ali’s body had been “fabricated.” Ali’s cousin, Hazhar Amin, told Rudaw on Tuesday that he took the photos and washed the body himself. “There are torture marks on my cousin’s shoulders,” he said.