Rights group urges probe into suspected custodial death in Deir ez-Zor
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor on Monday called for an urgent, independent investigation into the death of Ahmed al-Ayada al-Dayeh inside a detention center run by the Internal Security Forces of the Syrian transitional government in the city of Deir ez-Zor, eastern Syria, describing the case as a suspected custodial death linked to torture or ill-treatment.
In a statement, the group said that an Internal Security patrol arrested al-Dayeh from his house in al-Harmoushiya village in the western countryside of Deir ez-Zor between March 19 and 24, without a warrant and without informing him of charges or granting access to legal safeguards.
The group, founded in Geneva in 2011, added that his body was returned to his family about a month later, under circumstances suggest an unnatural death in custody, according to the group.
Local sources told the monitor that the family was notified of his death on April 21, although indications suggest he may have died only days after his arrest. The reported delay in notification and the retention of the body in a morgue refrigerator raised concerns about possible evidence concealment.
After reviewing photographs taken after the body’s return, the group said it observed bruises and hematomas on multiple parts of al-Dayeh’s body, warranting an independent forensic examination. Security sources reportedly attributed the death to a “heart attack,” an explanation the organization said is insufficient without a transparent medical report.
The monitor urged authorities to disclose detention records, allow independent oversight of facilities, and ensure accountability through fair judicial proceedings, noting similar deaths reported in Syrian detention centres since early 2026.