"UN Expert Condemns Syria's Detention of Minors Linked to Parents' ISIL Affiliation"

A UN expert has criticized the detention of tens of thousands of children in northeastern Syria based on their parents' alleged ties to ISIL, stating that it violates international law. The expert expressed concern about the indefinite and arbitrary detention of children, particularly boys, in various facilities. She also raised concerns about the separation of adolescent boys from their mothers in camps. The expert visited the al-Hol site, which holds about 55,000 people, including 31,000 children, and described the conditions as dire. UN rights experts have previously expressed concern about the practice of forcibly removing boys from the camps and separating them from their mothers.