700 boys, 12-16yrs old, remain in an #SDF prison in NE #Syria -- held without trial since 2019 & largely hidden from monitors since.
@UNICEF images saw them "sitting barefoot on a broken concrete & dirt floor," some with blankets over their shoulders.
nytimes.com/2022/02/06/wor…
@UNICEF images saw them "sitting barefoot on a broken concrete & dirt floor," some with blankets over their shoulders.
nytimes.com/2022/02/06/wor…
After international outcry at 700+ boys aged 10-16 being held alongside #ISIS fighters in a makeshift #SDF prison (after being judged security threats by the #SDF), the #SDF turns its ire on… @UNICEF.
Not a good look, honestly.
Not a good look, honestly.
https://twitter.com/farhad_shami/status/1491021488807624706
@UNICEF As I've said many times, the ultimate blame for the #ISIS detainee/camps crisis lies with the international community -- no doubt about it.
But the #SDF have a role to play in this dynamic & they've made decisions, implemented policies & concealed things -- and that's on them.
But the #SDF have a role to play in this dynamic & they've made decisions, implemented policies & concealed things -- and that's on them.
@UNICEF In 2021, a number of European & Scandinavian countries markedly intensified engagements in NE #Syria, assessing women & kids for repatriation.
Three of those countries' lead officials on repatriation told me personally the #SDF began inputting obstacles & delays from mid-2021.
Three of those countries' lead officials on repatriation told me personally the #SDF began inputting obstacles & delays from mid-2021.
@UNICEF So after years of being (rightly) called out for turning their backs on citizens in NE #Syria, some gov'ts that began engaging seriously were increasingly stone-walled by #SDF -- lack of access to citizens, delayed intel sharing on individual cases, unresponsive comms & more.
@UNICEF This sudden switch from 'take all your citizens asap' (& swift #SDF cooperation to facilitate doing so) to intricate & befuddling delays is an open secret -- and those 3 govt's all had the same theory:
- The #SDF *needs* foreign citizens to keep foreign attention & investment.
- The #SDF *needs* foreign citizens to keep foreign attention & investment.
@UNICEF So when 2-300 #ISIS militants got into #SDF-held #Hasakeh 3 weeks ago & the 700 minors' issue was revealed for all to see, the #SDF has gone on the PR defensive -- blaming #Turkey, crying wolf & now turning against media & the likes of @UNICEF. Troubling.
https://twitter.com/Charles_Lister/status/1490702861507997700
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