Women Journalists Without Chains expresses grave concern over the mass transfer of approximately 5,700 detainees suspected of affiliation with ISIS from camps and detention facilities in northeast Syria to Iraq since late January. These transfers, conducted under the U.S.-led Operation Inherent Resolve in coordination with local partners and at the request of the Iraqi government, have placed thousands of individuals into a judicial and security system long documented for systemic due process violations and reliance on coerced confessions.

Most of those transferred are Syrians, Iraqis, and third-country nationals. Authorities currently hold them in Nasiriyah Prison in Dhi Qar, Karkh Prison near Baghdad Airport, and a smaller number in facilities in Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The transfers have coincided with rapid military developments in northern Syria and have occurred without independent human rights monitoring or meaningful transparency.

These actions expose detainees to a substantial and foreseeable risk of torture, enforced disappearance, and trials that fail to meet minimum international standards of fairness. The gravity of crimes committed by ISIS between 2014 and 2017 does not relieve states of their binding legal obligations. Justice for victims cannot rest on violations of international law or opaque security arrangements that undermine the rule of law.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Tawakkol Karman, Chair of Women Journalists Without Chains, stated that regardless of the allegations against these detainees, many have endured years of detention without due process, only to face renewed imprisonment in another jurisdiction that offers insufficient safeguards against torture or extrajudicial execution. She warned that transferring detainees into legal systems known for extracting confessions under torture effectively places them in legal “black holes” and gambles with their lives.

Under Article 3 of the Convention Against Torture, no state may transfer a person to another state where substantial grounds exist for believing that the individual would be in danger of torture. This principle of non-refoulement is absolute. Article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights similarly prohibits torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment under any circumstances. States that participate in or facilitate transfers despite credible risk incur responsibility under international law for foreseeable violations.

The absence of independent oversight, the denial of meaningful access for lawyers and international monitoring bodies, and the documented patterns of abuse in Iraqi detention facilities heighten these concerns. Women Journalists Without Chains has previously documented grave abuses in Iraqi prisons, including electric shocks, suspension by limbs, threats of sexual violence, and other forms of coercion used to extract pre-written confessions. Such practices have formed the basis of death sentences in proceedings that lack transparency and fail to meet fair trial guarantees.

Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council has acknowledged that many detainees were previously held without due process and announced investigations. Among those transferred are individuals accused of serious international crimes, including genocide and the use of chemical weapons. Victims of ISIS atrocities deserve credible and expeditious justice. However, retaliatory proceedings grounded in torture or secret trials undermine accountability, deny victims the truth, and perpetuate cycles of violence.

A further structural obstacle persists. Iraq has yet to adopt comprehensive national legislation criminalizing genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in line with international standards. Current prosecutions rely primarily on the 2005 Anti-Terrorism Law, which focuses on penalizing organizational affiliation and often results in capital punishment, rather than establishing responsibility for specific underlying crimes. This legal framework has limited effective cooperation with international investigative mechanisms and constrained the use of evidence collected under international standards.

The crisis extends beyond transferred detainees. More than 28,000 relatives of suspected ISIS members—primarily women and children—remain detained in Al-Hol and Roj camps in northeast Syria, including approximately 12,500 foreign nationals. These individuals live in precarious and life-threatening conditions, without formal charges, fair procedures, or durable solutions. The continued failure of approximately sixty states to repatriate their nationals and provide lawful, transparent judicial processes at home constitutes a profound abdication of responsibility and prolongs the unlawful deprivation of liberty of thousands of children and women.

Women Journalists Without Chains calls on the United States and all coalition partners to immediately halt further transfers to Iraq where credible risk of torture and unfair trial persists, in full compliance with the principle of non-refoulement. Counterterrorism cooperation does not exempt states from obligations under the Convention Against Torture or other binding norms of international law.

The organization urges the Iraqi authorities to grant the International Committee of the Red Cross and relevant United Nations mechanisms unfettered access to all detention facilities holding transferred detainees, including Nasiriyah, Karkh, and facilities in Sulaymaniyah, and to end the use of torture and coerced confessions. Iraqi authorities should ensure that all prosecutions meet international fair trial standards, guarantee the right to legal counsel, exclude evidence obtained under torture, and uphold transparency in judicial proceedings. Parliament should urgently enact comprehensive legislation criminalizing core international crimes in line with international law to enable credible accountability and meaningful cooperation with international mechanisms.

States whose nationals remain detained in Al-Hol and Roj must immediately repatriate their citizens, especially children, and provide lawful and transparent judicial processes in accordance with their international obligations. Prolonged inaction perpetuates unlawful detention and entrenches conditions that violate fundamental human rights.

Counterterrorism cannot serve as a blank check to erode the absolute prohibition of torture or the right to due process. Upholding the rule of law remains the only sustainable path to justice for victims and to preventing future atrocities. Criminal responsibility for participation in, facilitation of, or complicity in serious violations of international law endures and does not expire with political expediency.

Released by:
Women Journalists Without Chains
February 18, 2026

Women Journalists Without Chains strongly condemns the arrest of prominent lawyer and human rights defender Majid bin Abdullah Al-Ruhaili by Omani authorities, describing the measure as arbitrary, retaliatory, and incompatible with Oman’s obligations under international human rights law.

February 14, 2026 — Women Journalists Without Chains has strongly condemned the death of Palestinian paramedic Hatem Ismail Rayan while in Israeli detention, describing the incident as part of a pattern of grave and systematic violations against Palestinian detainees and healthcare workers amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

The arrest of France-based activist Zineb El Kharroubi upon her arrival at Marrakech airport on February 12, 2026, marks a troubling escalation in the targeting of peaceful expression and digital activism in Morocco. Detaining an activist in connection with online speech reflects an increasingly restrictive environment for civil society actors and raises urgent concerns regarding respect for fundamental rights and the rule of law.

The continued detention of lawyer and human rights defender Ahmed Souab, alongside appeal proceedings held on February 12, 2026, on terrorism‑related charges linked to statements made in the course of his professional duties, marks a serious escalation in the targeting of legal professionals in Tunisia.

The Houthi militia continues to impose an escalating pattern of repression against women in areas under its control through abductions, enforced disappearances, torture, and other forms of cruel and degrading treatment. These violations reflect a deliberate strategy to silence dissent, intimidate communities, and consolidate authority through fear.

Amman, Jordan – February 9, 2026 — Women Journalists Without Chains has warned that recent remarks by Jordan’s Interior Minister acknowledging severe prison overcrowding highlight the urgent need for comprehensive reform of detention policies. The organization stressed that the minister’s statements reinforce longstanding concerns regarding the treatment of detainees, particularly individuals held for exercising their legitimate right to freedom of expression.

Government Acknowledgment of Overcrowding
In late January, Interior Minister Mazen Al-Faraya stated during a parliamentary session that the ministry seeks to reduce the number of detainees in correctional and rehabilitation centers, acknowledging that prisons suffer from acute overcrowding. Women Journalists Without Chains noted that the minister’s remarks align with available figures and media reports indicating that Jordan’s prison population exceeds 20,000 inmates, with some facilities operating at approximately 163 percent above their designed capacity.

Human rights advocates warn that such overcrowding creates conditions that may compromise detainees’ health and safety, including limited access to adequate medical care, deteriorating sanitation, and increased risk of ill-treatment. The organization emphasized that overcrowding also undermines detainees’ access to legal protections and humane detention standards guaranteed under international human rights law.

Public Outrage Over Detainee Cases
Public concern intensified following the circulation of images showing engineer Daham Al-Amoush in critical health condition. Al-Amoush has remained in intensive care at Al-Bashir Hospital in Amman for several months after reportedly suffering blood poisoning that resulted in coma and severe brain damage.

Authorities arrested Al-Amoush in 2024 following a personal dispute before reclassifying his case as attempted murder and subsequently categorizing him under state security charges. Media reports indicate that his detention may also relate to social media posts expressing solidarity with Gaza and opposition to Israeli military operations. Al-Amoush later launched a hunger strike to protest his detention, which reportedly contributed to the sharp deterioration of his health.

His brother, Bassam Al-Amoush, stated publicly that Daham has lost consciousness and eyesight and now suffers extensive neurological damage, describing his condition as “skin and bones.” He further accused authorities of misleading the family regarding Daham’s whereabouts, characterizing the case as an enforced disappearance and a serious human rights violation.

Women Journalists Without Chains stated that Jordanian authorities have increasingly targeted activists, journalists, and civilians for expressing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and protesting against actions attributed to Israeli forces since October 2023, which, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, have resulted in more than 72,000 deaths as of February 7, 2026.

Harsh Sentences and Legal Concerns
The organization also highlighted the case of detainee Ayman Sandouqa, arrested in December 2023 after sending a letter to King Abdullah II urging him to take a stronger position against Israeli military actions. Despite a recommendation from the Court of Cassation to amend the charge against him, the State Security Court sentenced Sandouqa to five years in prison on charges of “attempting to undermine the regime.” His family maintains that he sought only to exercise his right to peaceful expression and to obtain a fair trial.

In July 2025, Sandouqa’s sister, Inshirah, reported receiving threats from intelligence services demanding her appearance and warning of potential referral to the cybercrime unit. She reaffirmed her determination to advocate for her brother’s release and rejected what she described as policies aimed at silencing dissent. In September 2025, the State Security Court upheld Sandouqa’s five-year sentence, disregarding the Court of Cassation’s recommendation to reduce the charge to a misdemeanor.

Women Journalists Without Chains stressed that dozens of Jordanians remain detained without adequate fair trial guarantees. The organization noted that authorities increasingly prosecute individuals under the Cybercrime Law or refer cases to the Counter-Terrorism Law No. 55 of 2006, raising concerns about the use of broadly defined legislation to restrict peaceful expression.

Legal Framing and NGO Condemnation
Women Journalists Without Chains emphasized that such practices violate Article 15 of the Jordanian Constitution, which guarantees freedom of opinion and expression and permits restrictions only within narrowly defined legal parameters. The organization further stressed that these measures contravene Jordan’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, particularly Articles 9, 14, and 19, which protect individuals from arbitrary detention, guarantee fair trial rights, and safeguard freedom of expression.

The organization condemned arbitrary detention, alleged medical neglect, and intimidation targeting detainees’ families, warning that these practices undermine Jordan’s constitutional commitments and international human rights obligations.

Call to Action
Women Journalists Without Chains urged Jordanian authorities to:

• Immediately release all prisoners of conscience and end harassment targeting activists, journalists, and civilians for peacefully expressing their views.
• Implement urgent measures to address overcrowding in detention facilities and ensure humane and dignified detention conditions.
• Guarantee prompt and adequate healthcare for detainees and end any practices involving medical neglect or ill-treatment.
• Ensure detainees’ full legal rights, including access to legal counsel and communication with family members.
• End arbitrary detention, particularly of individuals detained for peaceful expression.
• Subject detention centers to independent judicial oversight and allow national and international human rights organizations to conduct monitoring visits to ensure transparency and accountability.