A report by the Syrian Investigative Journalism Unit (SIRAJ) reveals that the Syrian government, led by President Bashar Al-Assad, has been detaining children until they reach the age of 18, when they are then executed under Syria’s ‘Anti-Terrorism Law.’
Since protests began in 2011, the Syrian authorities have reportedly detained minors without trial, only to transfer them to military field courts at age 18 for execution. The investigation identified 25 Syrian children who disappeared as minors, later received death sentences, and whose deaths have now been confirmed.
Using sources within Syria, exclusive interviews, and open-source data, the SIRAJ team found that these children were forcibly disappeared by Syrian security forces, and their family assets were seized despite their age.
A source within Syria’s military police told SIRAJ that he had witnessed over 6,000 cases of child detainees sentenced to death, suggesting the practice could be even more widespread.
“The referral of detainees to military field courts clearly reflects the absence of the rule of law in Syria,” said Muhannad Sharabati, legal officer for the Syrian Legal Development Program (SLDP).
He highlighted that the Syrian regime’s executive branch wields unchecked power over the judiciary, leading to the use of courts that ignore international legal standards.