SDC condemns arrest of senior member by Syrian authorities
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The Syria Democratic Council (SDC) condemned on Wednesday the arrest of Ghassan al-Youssef, deputy co-chair of its presidency, by the Syrian government, describing the move as arbitrary and a serious violation of political norms.
In a written statement, the council said that “the arrest of Mr. Ghassan al-Youssef constitutes a dangerous precedent that cannot be justified or overlooked and sends negative messages that contradict any talk of de-escalation or political openness.”
The statement added that targeting a political figure known for supporting dialogue, institutional work, and the search for national solutions “does not serve stability and does not align with the requirements of the current stage, which should be moving toward easing tensions and building confidence.”
According to the SDC, al-Youssef and other political figures who have worked within or alongside the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) “were and remain part of Syria’s national fabric and supporters of negotiations, peaceful solutions, and national integration.”
The council said their decision to remain in their communities and continue political and administrative work under complex wartime conditions “was not an act of confrontation, but an expression of national and moral responsibility.”
The statement also rejected what it described as efforts to criminalize political participation linked to AANES institutions, stressing that the self-administration project “was never a project of secession or rupture, but a Syrian framework that emerged amid the collapse of state institutions, aiming to protect society, preserve civil peace, and open the way for a comprehensive political solution.”
It further said: “Targeting individuals who chose peaceful political work and holding local communities accountable for national choices that protected them from the brutality of the former regime is unacceptable and illegitimate.”
The council emphasized that “no authority has the right to punish people for remaining in their areas or for participating in administrative experiences that ensured their protection during the war.”
The SDC called for the “immediate release” of al-Youssef, warning that his continued detention would represent “an escalatory step for which the responsible party will bear full consequences.”