A tragic incident in the city of Qamishli, in al-Hassakeh province, has shocked both local and international audiences. On Monday, Alaa al-Din Adnan al-Amin, 33, a Swedish citizen of Syrian origin, died after nearly six months in detention by the Internal Security Forces (Asayish) of the Kurdish Autonomous Administration.
Al-Amin had arrived in Qamishli on September 7, 2025, travelling from Sweden through the Semalka border crossing to visit his family and celebrate his wedding. On October 20, 2025, Asayish personnel arrested him on a street near his father’s home without presenting a warrant or offering any official explanation, according to his family.
For the duration of his detention, the family received no information about his condition or whereabouts. On Monday, they received a call from the Asayish instructing them to come and collect his body. Family members told local media that the body showed fractures to the nose and head, along with clear signs of decomposition — indicators they believe point to torture inside the detention facility.
The family has called for an immediate, independent investigation into the circumstances of his arrest and death, accountability for those responsible, and full disclosure regarding the conditions of detainees held in facilities run by the Autonomous Administration.
The incident sparked a wave of outrage on social media, where activists and commentators demanded that the Asayish immediately reveal the circumstances surrounding the young man’s death and prosecute those responsible.
As of publication, neither the Asayish nor the Autonomous Administration has issued an official statement addressing the circumstances of the death or the family’s allegations that the body bore signs of torture.
The case has once again drawn attention to human rights violations in areas controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Autonomous Administration, where reports of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance continue amid a near-total absence of accountability and transparency.
Al-Amin’s death also raises broader questions about the fate of dozens — if not hundreds — of detainees held in the Autonomous Administration’s prisons, many of whom are denied contact with their families and access to fair legal proceedings.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
