Syrian presidential team says hundreds of detainees to be released next week
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Hundreds of detainees held by the Syrian transitional government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) will be released at the start of next week, in what could be the final batch under the Jan. 29, 2026 agreement, a Syrian official said on Thursday.
Speaking to Rudaw Media Network, Ahmad al-Hilali, spokesperson for Syria’s presidential team overseeing the implementation of the agreement with the SDF, said the detainee file is being handled as a top priority within the framework of the agreement between Damascus and the SDF.
“At the beginning of next week, hundreds of detainees will be freed from SDF prisons and Syrian government prisons,” al-Hilali added. “We believe this could be the last batch before the SDF hands over prison administration to the Syrian government.”
He declined to provide exact figures, citing ongoing verification processes, but stressed that “real progress” had been made toward closing the file in stages.
On the broader integration process, al-Hilali indicated that steps are proceeding gradually, beginning with security and military arrangements to ensure stability, alongside preparations to restore civil, service, and judicial institutions based on each area’s readiness.
“It is difficult to set rigid timelines, but we have moved from understandings to field implementation,” he noted. “The process is slow, but moving forward, and citizens will notice improved regularity in institutional work in the coming period.”
Regarding displaced residents of Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain), al-Hilali said returns remain a humanitarian and national priority but are tied to security conditions, control on the ground, and regional and international understandings. Initial returns from some villages are expected to begin gradually once conditions allow.
He pointed out that holding parliamentary elections in Hasakah Governorate is under discussion but depends on restoring legal and security stability and the full return of state institutions before a clear roadmap can be announced.