RAMALLAH, Palestine
Spending two years in harsh conditions in Syrian prisons, Palestinian citizen Rakan Mahmoud was finally released from captivity after the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime.
Rakan, from the occupied West Bank, visited the Syrian capital, Damascus, two years ago for tourism, to find himself behind bars of the Assad regime.
His family, residing in the town of Sanur, south of Jenin, left no stone unturned to know his whereabouts until they learned that he was arrested by regime forces.
"Life returned to the family after he was released from Syrian prisons following the fall of the regime,” his brother Rashid Mahmoud told Anadolu.
The family received a video call from Rakan just hours after his release, Rashid said, noting that his brother’s official documents are currently being prepared for his return to the West Bank.
Ordeal
Rashid recounted that the story began when Rakan traveled to Syria for tourism and disappeared for nearly three months.
"We lived in constant worry during these three months, with no information about my brother. We contacted Jordanian and Syrian authorities but got no answers. We spent a lot of money on intermediaries and lawyers just to get any clue about him," Rashid said.
A Syrian lawyer eventually uncovered information about him and visited the Palestinian man in one of the regime prisons, marking the first news the family received about their son.
For two years, the family endured immense suffering, especially his three children.
Regarding the charges, Rashid explained that his brother was accused of "spying for Israel" at the time of his arrest.
"The former regime found Israeli official documents and SIM cards in his possession, even though he worked as a contractor in Israel, like thousands of other Palestinians," Rashid said.
"None of the charges against my brother were proven, and he was never brought before a court," he continued.
Rashid mentioned that his brother Mohammad visited Rakan three months after his arrest and found his "features completely altered due to the torture he had endured."
The family paid "large sums of money for every piece of information about their brother," Rashid said.
For two years, the family lived in fear that Rakan might face the same fate of other detainees in Syrian prisons, possibly spending his entire life there.
Renewed hope
Hearing the news of Assad’s fall in Syria, hope renewed for the family that their son might be released from prison.
"We closely followed the release of prisoners in Syria and eventually saw him in videos as he left Adra Prison," Rashid said.
Hours after his release, the family received a video call from Rakan after he had reached an acquaintance.
"The joy was overwhelming when we saw him," Rashid recalled.
According to Rashid, Rakan was transferred from Damascus to Jordan.
Rakan, his brother said, is currently "with Jordanian security authorities, awaiting official documents," which the family is working to prepare in coordination with Palestinian officials.
Rakan’s father and older brother are expected to meet him in Amman on Tuesday, hoping to reunite with the rest of the family and his children in the West Bank.
His eldest son, 11-year-old Yousef, told Anadolu, "Thank God, my father has been released.”
“We missed him and will throw him a party when he returns."
Palestinians in Syrian prisons
A significant number of Palestinians have been detained in Syrian prisons over the years, including those who joined anti-regime groups, and others who came to Syria for tourism, trade, or other reasons.
Action Group for Palestinians of Syria, a London-based human rights watchdog, has documented the detention of 3,085 Palestinians in Syrian regime prisons since 2011, including 127 women and 45 children. Most of these arrests occurred between 2011 and 2014, with some detainees held for even longer periods.
Assad, who ruled Syria since July 2000 after his father, fled to Russia where he was given asylum after anti-regime groups captured Damascus on Sunday, marking the end of 61 years of the bloody Baath Party regime and 53 years of the Assad family’s rule.
With Assad’s fall, activists on social media have circulated lists of dozens of Palestinian detainees in Syria. However, Palestinian authorities have not confirmed their accuracy.
The Palestinian Embassy in Damascus has called on released detainees who are non-residents of Syria, their families, or anyone with information about them to contact the diplomatic mission or provide details about their fate.
*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala
