Administration of North and East Syria hands over custody of 30 Russian children from ISIS families to Russian representatives

ZALIN, Syria — After several appeals by the Democratic Autonomous Administration (DAA) of North and East Syria regarding the need for European countries to repatriate their citizens who joined the Islamic State (ISIS), including family members of ISIS members currently detained in Al-Hol Refugee Camp, 30 Russian children were handed over to two female assistants of the Commissioner of the Russian Federation for Child Rights during a closed meeting on Thursday in Zalin (Qamishli).

The meeting was attended by Co-Chair of the Foreign Relations Commission of the DAA, Abdul Karim Omar, and his two deputies, and deputy of the Women’s Commission of Gozarto (Jazira) Region Darya Ramadan. From the Russian side, the two assistants to the Commissioner of the Russian Federation for Child Rights, Larisa Nikolaevina and Helena Alexandrovna, attended the meeting.

After signing the hand over document, a press conference was held, during which Abdul Karim Omar welcomed the delegation, stating, “We have handed over to the Russian Federation 30 children from families of ISIS terrorists.”

“We in the DAA believe that the place of these children is not in the camps,” he continued. “Instead, they must live in a safe environment.”

Omar concluded, “The presence of these children in ISIS camps will only build a new generation of terrorists who are much more dangerous than the previous one, because they carry a spirit of revenge.”

The Russian delegation thanked the DAA of North and East Syria for its cooperation in returning the children to their homeland.

Despite the DAA’s repeated calls for European countries to arrange for the return of their citizens, thousands remain in the ISIS section of Al-Hol Refugee Camp and the newly constructed Roj Camp.