Syria Releases 1,500 Detainees as Part of SDF Prisoner Exchange
Saturday's release alone accounted for roughly one-third of the overall exchange figure, according to officials. The swap saw around 400 detainees freed by the interim authorities in return for approximately 90 individuals released by the SDF, a state news agency reported.
The exchanges stem from a January 29 agreement brokered under the backing of Syria's interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has repeatedly placed the detainee issue at the top of his humanitarian agenda since assuming authority.
Ziad al-Arish, the commander tasked with overseeing the agreement's implementation, signaled that the process is nearing its conclusion, stating that only a small number of detainees remain, "paving the way for the full closure of this humanitarian file."
Yet for many families gathered at al-Sabag roundabout — their eyes scanning every released face — the day brought anguish rather than relief. Among them was Hasakah resident Faeq Mahmoud, still searching for a nephew who has been missing for two months. "His name has not appeared among those released," he said.
As celebrations and heartbreak played out side by side, officials outlined the next phase of the process: interior authorities are set to assume control of prison administration, while the justice system will undertake a case-by-case review of remaining detainees.
The prisoner swap represents one of the few tangible fruits of a fragile ceasefire between the SDF and the Syrian interim authority — an uneasy truce that has enabled limited humanitarian and security cooperation, even as deeper disputes over governance, military command, and the prospective integration of SDF forces into national institutions remain unresolved. Competing political visions for the future of northeastern Syria continue to cast a long shadow over the peace process.
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