DAMASCUS

Palestinian Ambassador to Syria Samir al-Rifai revealed that 1,784 Palestinian detainees have disappeared in the prisons of Bashar al-Assad’s regime between 2000 and 2024.

Speaking to Anadolu at the Palestinian Embassy in Damascus, al-Rifai said the figures, which were documented, likely underrepresent the actual number, as additional cases may not have been reported.

Documenting the disappeared

Al-Rifai presented a paper file containing the names of the missing detainees, along with their dates of arrest and detention locations. Among the names reviewed by Anadolu were Majed Mohammed Shumer, arrested in 2013 from the Mashrou Dummar area of Damascus, and Waseem Mahmoud Badran, detained in 2014 in Daraa, southern Syria.

He also pointed to two Palestinian doctors he personally knew, Alaa al-Din Youssef and Hael Hamid, who were arrested in Damascus between 2013 and 2014.

In 2013 alone, approximately 500 cases of forced disappearance were documented in Assad’s prisons, with numbers rising in the following years, al-Rifai said.

Asked about official efforts to address these disappearances, he noted that the embassy repeatedly contacted Assad’s government but received no clear responses, as officials continuously deferred inquiries to others to evade accountability.

International reports indicate that thousands of detainees were secretly executed in the notorious Saydnaya prison. The deposed regime carried out extrajudicial executions at a rate of 50 per week between 2011 and 2015, according to these reports.

Assad’s government used all possible means to suppress the 2011 protests demanding peaceful political transition, triggering a devastating civil war.

Palestinian efforts

Al-Rifai, who was imprisoned in Assad’s jails for six years (1985-1991), said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas sent multiple delegations to Damascus to discuss issues concerning Palestinian refugees, detainees, humanitarian aid, and healthcare.

“However, these delegations returned empty-handed, with no information on the missing detainees,” he said.

Following Assad’s downfall, the embassy reached out to freed Palestinian detainees, particularly those who had been held in Saydnaya, to gather information about their missing peers, but nothing was uncovered, he added.

Al-Rifai noted that the disappeared include not only Palestinian refugees in Syria but also individuals from the occupied West Bank. He explained that Syria was once considered “a safe haven for Palestinian fighters,” but many vanished under mysterious circumstances.

After the Assad regime collapsed, a Palestinian prisoner originally from Jenin in the northern West Bank was released from Saydnaya. He had been imprisoned since 1985, al-Rifai said.

Without disclosing the details of his arrest, al-Rifai identified him as former prisoner Bashar Saleh, who is currently in Damascus and receiving a monthly stipend from President Abbas until arrangements for his return to Jenin are finalized.

Al-Rifai also stated that families in the West Bank have informed him during visits to the occupied territory that several of their relatives disappeared in Syria years ago, but Assad’s government has provided no answers regarding their fate.

Restrictions in Assad’s last 2 years

In Assad’s last two years, Rifai observed a “noticeable shift” in state policies toward Palestinian refugees. Previously classified as “Syrians and those equivalent,” Palestinians lost inheritance rights for property.

New laws allowed ownership but barred transferring it to heirs -- properties were instead auctioned off to benefit Assad’s government -- Rifai explained.

Palestinians were also quietly excluded from state jobs under an unannounced law.

“We did not make an official outcry over this issue because, at the end of the day, we are guests in this country, and we did not want to create tensions that would ultimately harm Palestinian refugees in the camps,” al-Rifai added.

However, when the embassy raised these concerns with Assad’s government, the only response was: “We will look into it,” he said.

Meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa

Regarding the Palestinian delegation’s visit to Damascus in late January and its meeting with Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, al-Rifai confirmed his presence at the meeting.

“The Syrian side was briefed on the latest developments regarding the Israeli aggression in Gaza and the West Bank, the escalation in refugee camps, and international efforts to implement the two-state solution,” he said.

The Palestinian delegation also expressed willingness to contribute to Syria’s reconstruction, particularly in refugee camps, and to engage politically within Syria’s legal framework, al-Rifai added.

According to al-Rifai, Sharaa assured the delegation that his government is open to working with the Palestinian leadership on refugee-related matters.

“The president affirmed that Palestinian refugees are welcome in Syria and will be treated with respect,” he said.

Sharaa also said all matters related to Palestinian refugee camps would be handled exclusively through the Palestinian Embassy in Damascus, bypassing any other entities, al-Rifai added.

- Conditions in refugee camps

Al-Rifai said Syria has 14 Palestinian refugee camps, many of which were destroyed during the war, particularly Yarmouk Camp in Damascus, historically known as the “capital of the diaspora.”

“Yarmouk was a vital symbol of the right of return. Its destruction served Israeli interests by undermining the refugee issue. But Palestinians remain steadfast in their right to return,” he said.

He noted that many displaced Palestinians, particularly from Yarmouk, have returned from abroad to settle permanently and participate in reconstruction efforts.

“Despite the immense destruction and ongoing challenges, Yarmouk will regain its role as a central hub for the right of return, though it will take time,” al-Rifai said.

Türkiye’s enduring support

Addressing the Israeli genocide in Gaza and the broader Israeli aggression on the occupied West Bank, al-Rifai accused the US of enabling Israeli actions.

“The genocide in Gaza and the attacks on the West Bank and its refugee camps would not have happened without a green light from the US, which seeks to displace Palestinians and pave the way for an Israeli state stretching from the Euphrates (in Iraq) to the Nile (in Egypt),” he said.

However, he insisted that such a project would fail, given the Palestinians' unwavering determination to remain on their land, despite US history of "wars, destruction, and forced displacements."

Al-Rifai also praised Türkiye’s consistent support for the Palestinian cause, calling it “a historic and well-known stance.”

“Türkiye has long been a steadfast ally of the Palestinian people and anyone who reads history understands that Türkiye’s support for the Palestinian people is deeply rooted and highly valued by us,” Rifai said. “This is not something new from our Turkish allies.”

During a visit to Istanbul in September 2024, al-Rifai witnessed firsthand the scale of Turkish solidarity with Gaza, including massive protests and humanitarian aid efforts.

“There was overwhelming public engagement with the Palestinian cause in Istanbul, as well as widespread condemnation of Israel’s genocide in Gaza,” he noted.

He also commended the Turkish Parliament for hosting Palestinian President Abbas in August 2024, where he announced plans to visit Gaza and urged the international community to facilitate the trip.

“Abbas’ invitation came as a direct response to the US Congress celebration of the speech of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Türkiye’s move countered Washington’s pro-Israel stance,” al-Rifai concluded.

Nearly 48,500 people have been killed, mostly women and children, in a brutal Israeli war on Gaza since October 2023. The onslaught was paused under the ceasefire and prisoner swap deal, which took hold in January.

In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.