Syrian forces in Syria have carried out a wave of arrests of Palestinians in Damascus over the past few weeks, alleging connections to the Assad regime, Islamic State, or recent violent demonstrations, according to Palestinian rights organizations and Arab media reports.
The Action Group for Palestinians of Syria complained that at least 14 men were arrested from the Khan al-Shih camp, the Jaramana camp, the Rukn al-Din neighborhood, and the town of al-Hameh.
Two men from the Khan al-Shih camp were released on Wednesday, according to the Palestinian NGO, which reported that they witnessed beatings and electric shocks being administered to other detainees during interrogations.
Those arrested from Khan al-Shih, for alleged ISIS affiliations, were released 14 hours after their arrest, according to the Palestinian Refugee Portal, without an explanation for their detainment.
Members of the community told the portal that the detainments were treated as “a show of force at the expense of civilians.”
While the NGO denied on Wednesday that any reason was given for the arrests, its director, Faez Abu Eid, told The New Arab that families were informed of an array of allegations, including an affiliation with the Islamic State, connections to the former Assad regime, and/or involvement in protests at the United Arab Emirates’ embassy earlier this month.
Syrian security forces responded with a “firm and unwavering stance” to the vandalism of the embassy earlier this month, according to the foreign ministry.
Pro-Palestinian rioters, who broke off from a larger protest nearby, demonstrated against the UAE’s membership in the Abraham Accords, with some scaling the building’s walls to fly the Palestinian flag.
“Until now, the Syrian Interior Ministry has not issued any clarification about the reasons for these arrests or the specific charges being brought against the detainees,” Abu Eid told The New Arab, adding that families were reluctant to come forward after the arrests out of fear of retribution.
While little information was shared, Syria’s Interior Ministry boasted last week of multiple arrests against parties alleged to be threatening the stability and security of the country.
An analysis published by the east Jerusalem-based Palestinian Al-Quds newspaper claimed that rhetoric in Syria had become increasingly hostile to Palestinians over the past month, in particular since the vandalism on the UAE embassy and since demonstrations began over new Israeli legislation permitting the death penalty.
The portal complained that many were using “fabricated” claims to “promote hate speech” against Palestinians in the country.
These claims were said to particularly target one man, falsely identified as Palestinian, who was falsely rumored to have connections with Iran and the former regime.