The longer the German government delays repatriation, the greater the risk: overcrowded prisons and indefinite detention are driving fresh radicalization, empowering ISIS propaganda, and threatening long-term regional and international security.
(New York, NY) – The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) today released a landmark report exposing the precarious situation as a result of the detention of at least 28 German men and boys allegedly affiliated to ISIS—in overcrowded and legally ambiguous facilities in the Kurdish-led de facto autonomous region in northeastern Syria (AANES). The report warns that the collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024 poses a serious risk to international security and could undermine Germany’s credibility as a rule-of-law state.
Titled “A Lawless Space – Alleged ISIS-affiliated Men and Boys from Germany Detained in Northeastern Syria,” and authored by Sofia Koller and Iva Mrvová, the paper uniquely draws on first-hand interviews with detainees and reveals dire conditions in Kurdish-run prisons which appear to violate international human rights, humanitarian, and child welfare standards, with strong evidence of torture and other ill treatment.
An estimated 10,000 men and boys from more than 74 countries, including Germany, remain detained in Northeastern Syria—many for more than six years without charge. The report features detailed case studies of German detainees and finds that the majority became radicalized in Germany. The German government’s inaction on repatriation— compounded by AANES’s lack of international recognition—has resulted in legal and moral stalemate.
CEP Senior Research Analyst Sofia Koller said:
“Six years after the fall of the “caliphate” and despite numerous prison riots and escape attempts, the international community, particularly those governments affected by the crisis, have not done enough to find a feasible solution for these detainees—especially men and boys. Allowing the stalemate to continue significantly burdens AANES and impedes justice for the crimes against humanity committed by ISIS. It also presents a serious security threat to the region and beyond, particularly in the wake of the Assad regime’s fall in December 2024.”
Co-author, Iva Mrvová, an associate researcher at CEP who regularly visits detention facilities in northeastern Syria said:
"President Donald Trump's latest announcement calling on the Syrian government under interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa, and formerly a member of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), to take responsibility for ISIS-linked detention centers raises further questions not only about Syria's security, but also about Europe itself, which has long refused to repatriate its citizens, especially men."
The paper notes that the status quo “significantly burdens AANES” and risks “hundreds of fighters rejoining the ranks of terrorist organizations.” The situation in Syria has further destabilized the region, while the Kurdish-led forces responsible for detention are increasingly overstretched by Turkish offensives and attacks by Iranian-backed militias.
The report warns that the “continued radicalization” of adolescent boys, prison riots, and mass escapes—such as the 2022 attack on Al-Sina’a—highlights the urgent need for a sustainable, lawful solution. Without action, the current impasse is likely to “exacerbate the security threat in Northeastern Syria and the broader Middle East, as well as internationally.”
To read the full report, click here.