Swedish-Syrian detainee Alaa al-Amin dies under torture in SDF custody in northeast Syria

Shafaq News- Damascus

Swedish-Syrian detainee Alaa al-Amin died in detention in Al-Hasakah province in northeast Syria, drawing calls from activists and rights groups for an investigation after his family said he died under torture in a facility run by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Family relatives told Shafaq News that al-Amin, a Syrian-Kurdish who holds Swedish citizenship, had traveled to his hometown of Al-Qamishli to celebrate his wedding before authorities arrested him two months later during a late-night raid on his home on October 20. A patrol affiliated with SDF intelligence stormed the house around 1:00 a.m., searched the property, fired shots to intimidate residents, and detained al-Amin without explaining the reason for the arrest.

The family said they later contacted several security offices linked to the SDF to locate him, but officials denied involvement in the arrest despite the family presenting a secretly recorded video that they said showed the patrol responsible.

After more than six months without contact, the family received a phone call last Sunday from an unidentified foreign number asking them to travel to Al-Hasakah to collect al-Amin’s body from the morgue of the National Hospital.

According to a medical report issued by the hospital, al-Amin died on January 16, 2026, from a heart attack. However, the family said his hands were bound and his body showed visible marks of torture. Relatives added that an independent medical examination and X-ray imaging found fractures in the skull, nose, and rib cage, along with other signs of physical abuse.

Activists, politicians, journalists, and human rights organizations called on the SDF to open an investigation and hold those responsible accountable.