Appeals from activists and members of the family of the young man, Mohanad Badran, persist, demanding his release and the disclosure of his fate. Information regarding him has been severed since his arrest in December 2025 in the city of Jableh, located on the Syrian coast, amid mounting concerns over his exposure to arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance.
According to information obtained by Rights Monitor Syria, Mohanad Badran—a member of the Alawite community—was arrested following his presence near the demonstrations witnessed in the Syrian coastal regions during that period. Since the date of his arrest, his family has been unable to obtain any official information regarding his place of detention or legal status, and no charges or judicial proceedings against him have been announced.
Mr. Mohanad Badran is married and a father of two children, serving as the sole breadwinner for his family. Local sources reported that the arrest of Mohanad Badran came against the backdrop of suspicions regarding his participation in the sit-ins and peaceful demonstrations witnessed on the Syrian coast. However, persons close to him affirm that he was neither a participant nor an organizer of these events, and that his presence in the area was incidental before he returned to his regular work.
Sources also indicate that his case falls within dozens of instances of arrest that targeted civilian youths during the same period, the fate of a number of whom remains unknown to date.
Rights Monitor Syria demands the release of Mohanad Badran and all detainees who have not been faced with clear legal charges, stressing the imperative to respect fair trial guarantees and the prohibition of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance, regardless of the religious or political affiliations of the detainees.
In late December 2025, the Syrian coast witnessed a wave of arrests carried out by security personnel affiliated with the temporary authority, targeting a number of activists and civilians, including individuals from the Alawite community, against the backdrop of their participation or suspected participation in peaceful demonstrations known as the “Tofat Al-Karama” (Flood of Dignity).
These measures have raised human rights concerns regarding respect for freedom of opinion and expression, as well as the freedom of peaceful assembly, in addition to the risks associated with arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance, and the potential repercussions thereof on public freedoms and civil peace in the Syrian coastal regions.
