The Forgotten Prisoners of ISIS: The Plight of Those Held in Syrian Camps

In January 2022, the world’s attention was on Ukraine as Russia massed its forces. However, amidst the speculation, a jihadist organization in northern Syria carried out an attack on Hasaka prison. On January 20th, a car loaded with explosives was driven into the prison walls and at least a hundred fighters stormed inside, with the intention of freeing ISIS members who were being held there. The battle lasted for ten days and resulted in more than 500 deaths. Despite this uprising, the Syrian Kurdish forces managed to gain control of the situation.

This incident highlights the ongoing situation in Syria and Iraq, where ISIS is nowhere near defeated. Thousands of ISIS jihadists are still being held in prisons in northeastern Syria, according to the Washington Institute. The largest camp is Al-Holi, which houses approximately 56,000 people, including 30,000 children. In December 2021 alone, there were over 46,000 people in this camp.

Despite living under Kurdish rule since 2017 and being protected by them during their escape from Daesh (ISIS), conditions at Al-Holi remain dire. Maintained by the Syrian Kurdish SDF (Syria Democratic Forces), the camp lives largely in anarchy with a strong presence of ISIS and scarce resources like food and clean water. Diseases spread easily due to poor hygiene and lack of proper medical facilities within the camp. There are also allegations of torture and abuse within the camp towards both adults and children who were once ISIS fighters or their family members.

Repatriation efforts are slow due to bureaucratic issues and cultural differences that make it difficult for newcomers to adapt to Iraqi society after years of camp life. While some repatriation efforts have started recently, most campers remain stuck in these camps with no hope for a better future.

In conclusion, human rights organizations like Amnesty International have described the situation at Al-Holi as unacceptable and have demanded corrective actions from authorities responsible for managing these camps.

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