Based on the initiative presented by the General Command of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to unify the Kurdish discourse in Syria and in the context of joint efforts to build confidence between the Kurdish political parties in Syria, the General Command in SDF formed a special commission of inquiry to investigate the issue “The Ten Missing”, whose names were provided by the Presidency of the Syrian Kurdish National Council (ENKS).

On 15, December, 2019, the General Command received a list from the Presidency of the Kurdish National Council  in Syria, which includes the names of the following ten missing persons, their names, and the date and place of their disappearance:

1- Jamil Omar / the Disappearance in Qamishlo /13 July, 2012
2- Behzad Dorson / Disappearance in Dirk / 24 October, 2012
3- Nidal Othman / Disappearance in Dirk / 24 October, 2012
4- Ahmed Othman Sidou / Disappearance in Afrin / 19 September, 2013
5- Ahmed Khalil Sino / Disappearance in Afrin / 11 October, 2013
6- Idris Alou / Disappearance, Afrin /8 November, 2013
7- Shaaban Abdel Hamid Sheikho / disappearance, 15 November 2013
8- Amir Hamid / Disappearance in Al-Darbasiyah /11 January, 2014
9- Fouad Ibrahim / Disappearance Dirk / March 24, 2017
10- Saud Mizar Al-Essa / Disappearance Al-Darbasiyah / 27 November, 2019

The statement by SDF General Command includes the following;

“Immediately upon receiving the list, the investigation committee began its work on this matter. After extensive investigations into the reasons for the disappearance of the individuals, it became clear that (8) out of (10) names disappeared in the stage of security chaos and overlapping areas of control on the ground, and the proliferation of terrorist and intelligence cells that belonged to local and regional parties.

Likewise, the first eight cases of disappearance preceded the formation of the autonomous administration and its institutions formally, before the date of formation of the administration on 21 January, 2014, even the first cases were before the formation of the YPG.

Despite the difficulties the committee faced during the investigations, and the many changes that took place on the scene of events, it was able to reach some details that would clarify the fate of some of the names mentioned in the list.

The preliminary findings of the Special Investigation Commission during its work showed that Jamil Omar, a former member of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), was kidnapped by the security services of the Syrian central government in a region it controlled in Qamishlo.

With regard to the disappearance of “Amir Hamid” and “Fouad Ibrahim”, investigations are ongoing to reach the people who caused the disappearance of the two victims and hold them accountable.

In this regard, the families of the victims and the political parties concerned are informed of the results and details of the investigations that are continuing until now, and the investigations also confirmed that “Saud Mizar Al-Issa” was detained by the General Security and was released on 20 December, 2019.

The Special Investigation Commission has not yet been able to trace any impact regarding the fate of Behzad Dorsen and Nidal Othman, and their disappearance in a region under the protection of the YPG, which places these forces and “Asayish” security forces under the natural and administrative responsibility of their disappearance, and the investigation continues to reveal their fate. Legal responsibility and duty of our forces.

On the other hand, the committee was unable to carry out an investigation into the fate of the persons who were registered missing in Afrin, due to the impossibility of access to the land of Afrin and the investigation there, and the control of the occupied forces over the city and other conditions and repercussions that accompanied this occupation.

We in the Syrian Democratic Forces confirm that the file of missing and enforced disappearance in the areas of Rojava – Al-Jazeera, Kobani and Afrin – is a huge and complex file, and so far 3,286 missing persons have been documented, including: 544 kidnapped by ISIS and 2,368 missing. They were kidnapped by the factions of the Syrian National Coalition for the Opposition Forces and the Syrian Provisional Government, and 374 missing persons were kidnapped by the security services of the Syrian Central Government.

Investigating the fate of missing persons is an ethical and legal duty that requires joint and strong and careful work. It requires the cooperation of all actors on the ground. Self-management institutions in northeastern Syria bear the legal responsibility to follow up their files and reach the required results.”