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Amnesty International Organization warns of plans to transfer the displaced of Rukban camp to Assad regime-held areas

Amnesty International Organization said that UN and Red Crescent must halt plans to transfer the displaced from ” Rukban” camp to Assad regime-controlled areas, and it warned that the UN return operation is a clear risk of persecution to refugees.

The organization added in a statement that the UN’s transfer operation would put returnees to Syria at acute risk of arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance and torture. 

The Amnesty also documented the appalling abuse of dozens of refugees who returned to Syria, with rape and other forms of sexual violence prevalent in the abuse.
Numerous people who returned from Rukban camp were among the victims. 

The unofficial “Rukban” camp is located in an isolated and rugged area between the Syrian and Jordanian borders known as the “earth berm.” Its residents suffer from miserable living conditions, and lack access to medical care, sanitation, and clean water.

Amnesty International stressed that the organization’s research showed that the Assad regime specifically targeted the returnees from Rukban, accusing them of “terrorism” before exposing them to serious human rights violations.

The organization documented the Assad regime’s use of so-called shelters to arrest and interrogate returnees, and then transferred them to intelligence centers where they were arbitrarily detained, and in some cases subjected to torture and enforced disappearance.

It cautioned that “it is not clear how many people will be transferred from Rukban if the UN-led return process continues.”

“These returns should not continue; Instead, the Syrian and Jordanian governments, as well as all parties to the conflict, must urgently secure humanitarian access to Rukban.”

Forstei added that under the plan that the United Nations talked about, the returnees will be subject to a 14-day quarantine period in temporary residence centers in Homs, which means that leaving the quarantine site will be subject to the approval of the Assad regime, giving the authorities the power to detain returnees for longer periods without judicial supervision.

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