European Asylum Support Office Syria Targeting of individuals Country of Origin Information Report March 2020 SUPPORT IS OUR MISSION European Asylum Support Office Syria Targeting of individuals Country of Origin Information Report March 2020 More information on the European Union is available on the Internet (http://europa.eu). ISBN: 978-92-9485-134-5 doi: 10.2847/683510 © European Asylum Support Office (EASO) 2019 Reproduction is authorised, provided the source is acknowledged, unless otherwise stated. For third-party materials reproduced in this publication, reference is made to the copyrights statements of the respective third parties. Cover photo: © 2018 European Union (photographer: Peter Biro), EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid, 13 November 2018, url (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN REPORT ON SYRIA: TARGETING OF INDIVIDUALS — 3 Acknowledgements EASO would like to acknowledge Germany, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), Country Analysis, as the co-drafter of this report, together with the EASO COI sector. The following departments and organisations have reviewed the report: Finland, Finnish Immigration Service, Legal Service and Country Information Unit ACCORD, the Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation It must be noted that the review carried out by the mentioned departments, experts or organisations contributes to the overall quality of the report but does not necessarily imply their formal endorsement of the final report, which is the full responsibility of EASO. 4 — EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN REPORT ON SYRIA: TARGETING OF INDIVIDUALS Contents Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................. 3 Contents .................................................................................................................................................. 4 Disclaimer................................................................................................................................................ 8 Glossary and abbreviations ..................................................................................................................... 9 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 10 Methodology .................................................................................................................................... 10 Quality control .................................................................................................................................. 10 Sources ............................................................................................................................................. 10 Structure and use of the report ........................................................................................................ 11 Map ....................................................................................................................................................... 12 1. Persons perceived to be opposing the government ......................................................................... 13 1.1 Treatment of persons perceived to be opposing the government ............................................ 14 1.1.1 Arbitrary arrest, detention and enforced disappearances ................................................. 14 1.1.2 Torture and other forms of ill-treatment ............................................................................ 16 1.1.3 Wanted lists ......................................................................................................................... 16 1.1.4 Extrajudicial executions ....................................................................................................... 17 1.2 Different profiles interpreted by the government as opposition ............................................... 18 1.2.1 Members of anti-government armed groups ..................................................................... 18 1.2.2 Political activists, protesters and opposition party members ............................................. 20 1.2.3 Civilians originating from, or residing in, areas perceived to be opposing the government ...................................................................................................................................................... 21 1.3 Returnees from abroad .............................................................................................................. 23 1.3.1 Profiles of returnees ............................................................................................................ 23 1.3.2 Syrian refugees returning from Turkey ............................................................................... 24 1.3.3 Syrian refugees returning from Lebanon ............................................................................ 25 1.3.4 Syrian refugees returning from Jordan ............................................................................... 26 1.3.5 Clearance ............................................................................................................................. 26 1.3.6 Treatment upon return ....................................................................................................... 27 2. Persons fearing recruitment by the government armed forces and/or repercussions as military draft evaders and deserters from the armed forces ..................................................................................... 31 2.1 Military service and official conscription .................................................................................... 31 2.2 Deferrals and exemptions .......................................................................................................... 34 2.2.1 Students .............................................................................................................................. 34 EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN REPORT ON SYRIA: TARGETING OF INDIVIDUALS — 5 2.2.2 Government employees ...................................................................................................... 34 2.2.3 Medical cases ...................................................................................................................... 35 2.2.4 Only sons ............................................................................................................................. 35 2.2.5 Exemption from military service by paying exemption fees, and risk of being called up as reservist despite having paid the fee ........................................................................................... 36 2.3 Consequences of draft evasion and desertion ........................................................................... 36 2.3.1 Penalties for evading service ............................................................................................... 36 2.3.2 Penalties for desertion ........................................................................................................ 37 2.4 Enforcement of amnesty for draft evaders and deserters ......................................................... 37 3. Persons perceived to be opposing the SDF/YPG .............................................................................. 39 3.1 Targeting of political opponents ................................................................................................. 39 3.2 Targeting of persons with (perceived) links to ISIL ..................................................................... 41 3.3 Other profiles perceived as opposition ...................................................................................... 42 3.4 Targeting of persons associated with Turkey and/or the Syrian National Army........................ 43 3.5 List of illustrative incidents ......................................................................................................... 44 4. Persons fearing (forced) recruitment by Kurdish forces in areas under their influence .................. 46 4.1 Compulsory military service ....................................................................................................... 46 4.2 Forced recruitment ..................................................................................................................... 47 4.3 Recruitment of children .............................................................................................................. 48 5. Persons perceived to be supporting the government and/or opposing anti-government armed groups ................................................................................................................................................... 50 5.1 Members of the government of Syria and Baath party officials ................................................ 51 5.2 Members of government forces and affiliated armed groups ................................................... 52 5.3 Civilians perceived to be collaborating with the government or the (pro-)government armed forces and/or to oppose anti-government armed groups ............................................................... 54 5.3.1 Targeting by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham ..................................................................................... 54 5.3.2 Targeting by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) ...............................................