Inside the Islamic State prisons the west is trying to forget

The Guardian

07-03-2025

A few weeks ago, Michael Safi travelled to north-east Syria, an area controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. Here, suspected foreign fighters for Islamic State – including those from Britain – have for years been imprisoned without charge and with no idea of when they would be released.
Few prisoners in the camp say they are IS members. Michael and fellow journalist, Will Christou, spoke to a former British surgeon from Leicester who told a surprising story of being 'tricked' into crossing into Syria from Turkey. They also met an Australian prisoner, who admitted to being an IS member, and whose family for years did not know his whereabouts.
The Kurdish forces running the prison want foreign governments to take their fighters back. Many have refused – they prefer to forget about these IS legacies. They would also like to forget about the women and children from former IS-controlled territory who are being held in camps in this area, and who come from countries around the world.
Nearby, meanwhile, IS fighters still lurk – and still carry out attacks, journalist Baderkhan Ahmad tells Michael. Two years ago, they attacked the Panorama detention centre and hundreds died in the two-week battle; 400 prisoners are still unaccounted for.
Now, global political events are making the prison and camp organisers worry they are even more vulnerable. They fear the Trump administration will pull US troops out of Syria, while USAid cuts have meant there were days when no food or water arrived at the camps housing women and children. Although the funding has been extended, it is not clear for how long.