Latest news with #Qamishli
Fox News
3 days ago
- General
- Fox News
Federal judge issues $20M verdict against Syria for torture of US citizen taken captive in 2019
A Washington, D.C.-based law firm secured a judgment of more than $20 million against the Syrian Arab Republic on behalf of Sam Goodwin, a St. Louis native held captive in the country's notorious prison system for 63 days while on a trip to visit every country in the world. U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly awarded Goodwin $20,201,620 in damages, about $10 million each in compensatory and punitive damages, in response to a lawsuit filed under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act's "state sponsor of terrorism" exception. Roughly half of the judgment is payable through the U.S. Victims of State-Sponsored Terrorism Fund, which is financed by sanctions proceeds and other penalties. Depending on the amount of money in the fund, Goodwin could get a certain percentage of compensatory damages over several years. "Nations that violate international human rights standards must face consequences, and courageous survivors like Sam help ensure the world does not ignore the atrocities perpetrated by the Assad regime," said Kirby Behre, a member of Miller & Chevalier's litigation department and lead counsel for Goodwin. "While nothing can completely compensate for Sam's suffering, this represents yet another powerful step forward in the broader effort to confront those responsible for such grave injustices." Goodwin entered war-torn Syria from Iraq in 2019 as part of a years-long quest to visit every country in the world. He stayed in Qamishli, a city on the Turkey-Syria border, which he believed was under the control of the U.S.-backed Kurds. The former Division I collegiate hockey player was detained by men in military uniforms at a roundabout not far from his hotel while on FaceTime with his mother, Ann. "I was taken into the basement of a facility that I now know is called Syria's Military Intelligence [Branch] number 215, a facility notoriously known for housing political prisoners, and I was held here in solitary confinement for 27 days," Goodwin told Fox News Digital last year ahead of the release of his book, "Saving Sam: The True Story of an American's Disappearance in Syria and His Family's Extraordinary Fight to Bring Him Home." "The only human interaction I had was for a few seconds in the morning and evening when the guards who brought bread and boiled potatoes and water." His lawyers said he was tortured at Branch 215 by the now-ousted regime of former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and subjected to prolonged interrogation. At one point, Goodwin's interrogator threatened to hand him over to ISIS after he refused to admit to accusations of being a spy. His release was secured by General Abbas Ibrahim, then Lebanon's top security official, who was put in contact with the family by Joseph Abbas, the uncle of Goodwin's sister's friend and former college roommate. His family worked tirelessly to bring him home, collaborating with the FBI, CIA, State Department, the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, Vatican envoys, Middle East experts and others. "This judgment is about far more than what happened to me. It's a stand for anyone who has suffered human rights abuses around the world. I hope it gives other victims the courage to speak up and, above all, serves as a warning that such crimes will not be tolerated or forgotten," Goodwin told Fox News Digital in a statement. Miller & Chevalier has secured other judgments against the Syrian Arab Republic, including one for approximately $50 million in 2023 for Kevin Dawes, another American citizen who was illegally arrested, imprisoned and tortured in Syria. In July, it filed a lawsuit on behalf of the family of Dr. Majd Kamalmaz, a psychotherapist and humanitarian who was detained at a government checkpoint in Damascus, Syria, in 2017, accusing the Syrian Arab Republic of abducting, torturing and killing him.
Washington Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Syria's government and Kurds reach agreement on returning families from notorious camp
QAMISHLI, Syria — Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria announced Monday they have reached an agreement with the transitional government in Damascus to evacuate Syrian citizens from a sprawling camp in the desert that houses tens of thousands of people with alleged ties to the militant Islamic State group. Sheikhmous Ahmed, an official in the Kurdish-led authority that controls the country's northeast, said an agreement was reached on a 'joint mechanism' for returning the families from al-Hol camp after a meeting among local authorities, representatives of the central government in Damascus and a delegation from the U.S.-led international coalition fighting IS.
Associated Press
5 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Syria's government and Kurds reach agreement on returning families from notorious camp
QAMISHLI, Syria (AP) — Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria announced Monday they have reached an agreement with the transitional government in Damascus to evacuate Syrian citizens from a sprawling camp in the desert that houses tens of thousands of people with alleged ties to the militant Islamic State group. Sheikhmous Ahmed, an official in the Kurdish-led authority that controls the country's northeast, said an agreement was reached on a 'joint mechanism' for returning the families from al-Hol camp after a meeting among local authorities, representatives of the central government in Damascus and a delegation from the U.S.-led international coalition fighting IS. Ahmed denied reports that administration of the camp will be handed over to Damascus in the near future, saying 'there was no discussion in this regard with the visiting delegation or with the Damascus government.' Human rights groups for years have cited poor living conditions and pervasive violence in the camp, which houses about 37,000 people, mostly wives and children of IS fighters as well as supporters of the militant group. They also include Iraqis as well as nationals of Western countries who traveled to join IS. The U.S. military has been pushing for years for countries that have citizens at al-Hol and the smaller, separate Roj Camp to repatriate them. Iraq has taken back increasing numbers of citizens in recent years, but many other countries have remained reluctant. As for Syrians housed in the camp, a mechanism has been in place for several years to return those who want to go back to their communities in the Kurdish-controlled areas, where centers have been opened to reintegrate them. Before now, however, there had not been an agreement with the government in Damascus to return them to areas under the central government's control. The new agreement comes amid attempts to increase the cooperation between Kurdish authorities and the new leaders in Damascus after former President Bashar Assad was unseated in a rebel offensive in December. Under a deal signed in March between Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Mazloum Abdi, the commander of the U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, the SDF is to be merged into the new government armed forces. All border crossings with Iraq and Turkey and airports and oil fields in the northeast are to come under the central government's control. Prisons where about 9,000 suspected members of the Islamic State group are held are also expected to come under central government control. The deal marked a major step toward unifying the disparate factions that had carved up Syria into de facto mini-states during its civil war that began in 2011 after the brutal crackdown by Assad's government on massive anti-government protests. However, implementation has been slow. Washington has been pushing for its enactment and, in particular, for Damascus to take over management of the prisons in northeast Syria.
Al Bawaba
20-05-2025
- Business
- Al Bawaba
Did McDonald's open its first branch in Syria amid sanctions lift?
ALABWABA - Following the sanctions lift on Syria, a restaurant based in Qamishli posing as McDonald's, the popular US fast-food chain, has gone viral on social media. Over the past two days, videos of the trending restaurant flooded social media, but people were quick to slam the false rumors circulating online. The restaurant isn't an actual McDonald's, but a spoof that borrows from the fast-food giant's branding, using Kurdish letters for a satirical touch and to avoid copyright laws. "MçDonald's Qamishlo" doesn't offer customers the fast food giant's signature meals, but instead, it serves local food dishes like shawarma and international kitchen meals, including pizza and burgers. Did McDonald's open its first branch in Syria amid the sanctions lift? McDonald's has been targeted in boycott calls from pro-Palestine activists in the Middle East after several organizations like the BDS Movement labeled it a supporter of the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza. If the fast food giant were to open its first-ever restaurant in Syria, it might also be met with protests and boycott calls, like several countries in the region. Both the US and the EU recently made headlines after lifting their sanctions on Syria, prompting celebrations across the country for its economic benefits. The decision was made during US President Donald Trump's recent visit to the Middle East, where he met Arab leaders such as Saudi Arabia's Mohamed Bin Salman, Qatar's Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, UAE's Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Syria's Ahmed al-Sharaa. The sanctions lift will open doors for more international brands to enter Syria's market after years of Assad's regime and war.
Middle East Eye
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
The long path to recovery in northeastern Syria
To cross the Tigris river from Iraqi Kurdistan into northeastern Syria is to journey between two different worlds. Over centuries, this has often been the way for this great river: the boundary between rival empires and a contested waterway that remains the key to life for millions. The rickety pontoon bridge gives an inkling of what is to come as you leave behind the largely well-developed and functioning Kurdistan Regional Government for an area of Syria that is isolated, vulnerable and economically destitute. The road up from the river is near-impassable, scarred with massive potholes. The Kurdish-dominated area of northern Syria, which many Kurds prefer to call Rojava, is surrounded by what they perceive to be rivals and enemies. The Turkish border is walled off or lined with barbed wire. In every meeting I attended, my interlocutors broached the impacts of the sectarian violence carried out in Syria's coastal regions in March. The underlying but unexpressed fear was clear: we could be next. Representatives from Arab, Christian, Armenian, Alawi, Yazidi and Kurdish communities made this point routinely. Few expressed much trust in the platitudes of the new authorities in Damascus. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The most overwhelming sense was of a region that has been obliterated economically. Although reports of smuggling networks abounded, most shops were shuttered. Everyone relied on primitive generators for electricity. Occasionally, a lucky few had access to solar power. At night, few lights could be seen on the streets. The area also suffered from a lack of water. Once the breadbasket of Syria, having replaced the Hawran in the south from the 1950s, the flat, fertile lands were now largely untilled. Crippling sanctions Myriad reasons were given for this dismal situation: war, Turkish incursions and the fight against the Islamic State (IS) group. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are also not innocent. Human rights groups have highlighted significant issues with detaining political activists and the recruitment of child soldiers, some as young as 12, by groups associated with the SDF. Qamishli and Hasakah were on the front lines of that struggle. IS remains a threat to this day, claiming around 300 attacks last year - more than double the previous year's figure. US and European sanctions have also contributed to crippling the Syrian economy. Nobody will invest until American sanctions are eased. Oil fires blazed where the population was forced to use crude methods to extract resources. You can smell it in the air everywhere. One can only imagine the health impacts and environmental damage. What is needed now is an easing of sanctions to provide a tangible political and economic horizon On a humanitarian level, many people complained to me that international aid had dried up, as NGOs had shifted their focus to Damascus. The needs are great. Overall, half the Syrian population is still food insecure. Throughout this area in the north, there are camps for both refugees and internally displaced people. Many have fled recently after the fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime and Turkish attacks. The presence of external actors is extraordinary. We passed the Russian base at Qamishli airport, and then soon after, we passed an American base. Russian military patrols still go down the main highway. Where else can you find Russian and American forces deployed so close together? The US has announced it is reducing its force deployment in Syria, closing three of its eight bases in the northeast. Yet, their presence is seen by many as crucial to the anti-IS coalition, with around 10,000 of the group's fighters still detained in northeastern Syria. The sheer presence of American forces acts as a deterrent to IS, who are looking for any opportunity to rise again, but also acts as a buffer to keep Turkish-backed forces and Kurdish groups from fighting. But eventually, Syrians will want to see all foreign forces out of the country. Hopeful sign During my visit to the region, the upbeat assessment was that a ceasefire with Turkey had been holding for more than three weeks. The drone attacks had stopped. The Euphrates now forms the de facto border between areas controlled by the SDF and those controlled by Turkish-backed forces. The deal signed in March between Damascus and the SDF was also a hopeful sign. The Kurdish National Council and other parties have been working towards building on this deal, but significant divisions remain. SDF leader Mazloum Abdi, a key partner for the US in its fight against IS, told me that recent meetings with authorities in Damascus had gone well, as American helicopters hovered nearby in what looked like training exercises. Syria after Assad: How to rebuild from the ashes of war Read More » Abdi was also upbeat about progress with Turkey, which itself views the SDF as a terrorist organisation and an extension of the proscribed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). While he described the Turkish threat as an 'existential challenge', Abdi appeared grimly determined to make headway with both Damascus and Ankara. His optimism might not be totally misplaced. PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, the political and spiritual leader for many of Syria's Kurds, called on the group to disarm in February. This represents an opportunity to end the conflict inside Turkey that has killed 40,000 people over 40 years. It would also have major implications for both Syrian and Iraqi Kurds. A genuine peace would reassure the Turkish leadership. Ending the fighting in northern Syria would enhance the country's prospects for long-term stability. This should matter to all international actors, from the Middle East to Europe. What is needed now is an easing of sanctions to provide a tangible political and economic horizon. In the rosiest scenario, this would deal a huge blow to extremist groups such as IS and give confidence to Syrians looking to return to their beloved homeland. This is a long road with plenty of potholes, but it is definitely worth the journey. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
