Local activists have reported the arbitrary detention of a Kurdish civilian named Mohammad Abu Yusuf, a mobile phone shop owner originally from Al-Hasakah. The arrest was carried out by a patrol belonging to the Customs Department in the city of Raqqa, Northern Syria—an incident that raises serious concerns regarding the abuse of power and the violation of civilian rights.
According to the received information, Mohammad Abu Yusuf was detained while visiting the competent department in Raqqa. He was seeking to complete legal procedures related to the registration and conversion of his vehicle’s license plate to an official Syrian plate, in accordance with established legal frameworks.
Sources indicated that the young man remains in custody in Raqqa. He has been informed of the intent to transfer him to the Customs Directorate in Damascus next Monday, following the end of the official holiday, without any clear legal justification provided for his continued detention.
In a related context, activists have accused an individual identified as “Abu Abdullah Shartah”, who is affiliated with the Customs apparatus, of being behind the detention and the extrajudicial seizure of the vehicle in Raqqa. Furthermore, reports allege that he demanded a sum of money estimated at three times the vehicle’s value in exchange for the young man’s release—an act characterized as extortion and influence peddling.
This incident highlights growing fears of corrupt practices and potential human rights violations within certain executive bodies, including arbitrary arrest and financial extortion, amidst a critical lack of transparency and legal accountability.
