Assyrian woman released from SDF custody, family says

Rasha Shamoun, a Damascus resident, was reported missing for one week.

Yasmeen Altaji | July 10, 2022

A 36-year-old Assyrian woman reportedly detained without charges by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) units in Al-Malikiyah (Derik), Syria, has been released, according to family members in contact with her.

Rasha Shamoun, who resides in Damascus and was in Al-Malikiyah visiting her father, was reported missing last week. Al-Malikiyah is under the control of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES).

Shamoun’s brother, Rene Shamoun, told The Word Sunday that she had been released and was in the company of her father in Derik. He said following her release, the family learned she had been held at a security branch in Rmelan, Syria, approximately 770 kilometers northwest of Damascus and 350 kilometers southeast of Al-Malikiyah, where family members suspected she was located.

“My father called us around 12:00 a.m. our time — 1:00 a.m. [Derik] time — and told us that they notified the bishop that she will be released within the hour,” Rene Shamoun told The Word, referring to clergy in contact with the office of SDF General Commander Mazloum Abdi. “She was scared and crying, but [showed] no signs of physical abuse or bruises that we could see on her face,” he said, based on a “short video call” with her.

Rene Shamoun and his siblings had been following developments from their home in Sweden.

In a statement published on Facebook by her brother, Rene Shamoun, the family said they had last heard from her on July 3. According to the statement, security forces repeatedly promised her release without delivery.

The SDF is a U.S.-backed military alliance and the official defense force of the AANES.

Correction: An earlier version of this article stated that Rasha Shamoun is 32 years old. Shamoun is 36.