The Kurdish-led administration in northeastern Syria announced that it "will start the trial of thousands of foreign ISIS fighters held in detention for years," surprising diplomats involved in the matter and raising concerns about the adherence to due process. The administration stated in an online announcement: "Due to the international community's failure to respond to the self-administration's calls for countries to take back their nationals from the organization, and to uphold rights, to ensure justice for victims, and to achieve social justice, the self-administration of northern and eastern Syria has decided to start bringing foreign ISIS members held in custody to fair, public, and transparent trials."
A senior official in the administration, Bedran Jiyad Kurd, confirmed to Reuters that "a local anti-terrorism law, which was amended last year to be more comprehensive, will be used to prosecute the organization's fighters," noting that "there will be a right to appoint a lawyer for the defendants," although he did not disclose whether the courts would assign lawyers for them.
He added, "We will invite the international coalition and all organizations, human rights entities, and individuals who wish to follow up and attend as observers, as these are public and transparent trials."
A Western diplomat working in Syria told Reuters that "the decision of the Kurdish self-administration was a surprise. No one thought they would do this. We take this matter seriously because they are holding many people, but this is a separate issue from their trial. Their trial is a completely different matter."
