Detaining ISIS terrorist suspects without trial by the USA in Rojava-Syria

Authors

  • Handren Ahmad Eahya Politics and International Relations, Faculty of Law, Political Science and Management/ Soran University
  • Rebaz Ismael Ali Department of Politics & International Relations, Faculty of Law and Political Science and Management, University of Soran
  • Aram Nabee Mohammed Department of Law, Faculty of Law and Political Science and Management, University of Soran

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26750/Vol(12).No(1).Paper37

Keywords:

Prosecution, International Crimes, the USA, Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Detaining ISIS Terrorist Suspects, International Law.

Abstract

This study discusses one of the USA’s tactics or strategies, which is the detention of ISIS terrorist suspects without charge or trial in the case of Rojava, Syria. The significance of the subject is that it is one of the most controversial topics in contemporary politics and international laws. A political analysis method was used and the research data dealt with by examining a number of variables.

This paper discusses different reasons that affected the non-solution of the tactic or strategy used by the USA government in the war on terror, as well as showing the division between international laws and provisions which are mentioned in international human rights law and in international humanitarian law. This paper will focus on whether the performance of the process of detaining terrorist suspects without trial is legal or illegal. The paper will also examine a case study of Rojava’s trials, Syria and how they deal with detainees. Furthermore, this study will try to explain non-governmental organizations’ (NGO) attitudes, as these have played an important role in the showing of the USA’s tactic. This study concludes that the detention of ISIS terrorist suspects without trial raises serious legal questions, particularly with regard to due process and the right to a fair trial. Under international law, individuals have the right to be brought before a competent court, to be informed of the charges against them, and to have access to legal counsel and a fair trail.

References

Becker, J. & Tayler, L., 2023. Revictimizing the Victims: Children Unlawfully Detained in Northeast Syria. [Online]

Available at: https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/01/27/revictimizing-victims-children-unlawfully-detained-northeast-syria

[Accessed 1 12 2023].

Charrett, C., 2009. A Critical Application of Securitization Theory: Overcoming the Normative Dilemma of Writing Security. International Catalan Institute for Peace, pp. 1-48.

Munster, R. v., 2012. Securitization. In: International Relations. London: Oxford Bibiliography , p. 60.

Filimon, L.-M., 2016. AN OVERVIEW OF THE COPENHAGEN SCHOOL’S APPROACH TO SECURITY STUDIES: CONSTRUCTING (IN)SECURITY THROUGH PERFORMATIVE POWER. The Romanian Journal for Baltic and Nordic Studies , 8(2), pp. 47-72.

GINGA, D. F. C., 2021. NATIONAL SECURITY. A NEW APPROACH TO MARITIME TERRORISM IN AFRICA. JANUS.NET, e-journal of international relations, 11(2), pp. 185-198.

Sabry, M., 2022. Securitisation Theory and the Islamic State. [Online]

Available at: https://iigsa.org/iigsa-publications/securitisation-theory-and-the-islamic-state/

[Accessed 22 1 2024].

Wilson Center, 2019. Timeline: the Rise, Spread, and Fall of the Islamic State. [Online]

Available at: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/timeline-the-rise-spread-and-fall-the-islamic-state

[Accessed 22 12 2023].

Ababakr, A., 2022. The Reasons Behind the Rise of ISIS: An Analytical Perspective. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 13(5), pp. 11-27.

Dagher, M., 2020. Iraqi Stability and Its Free-Falling Middle Class. [Online]

Available at: https://www.csis.org/analysis/iraqi-stability-and-its-free-falling-middle-class

[Accessed 2 1 2024].

Abdulrazaq, T. & Stansfield, G., 2016. The Enemy Within: ISIS and the Conquest of Mosul. Middle East Institute, 70(4), pp. 525-542.

U.S. Department of State, 2024. Members-The Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. [Online]

Available at: https://www.state.gov/the-global-coalition-to-defeat-isis-partners/

[Accessed 3 1 2024].

Dunne, T., Kurki, M. & Smith, S., 2016. International Relation Theories: Discipline and Diversity. 4 ed. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

Azeez, H., 2023. THE GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY OF SUPPORTING ROJAVA’S ISIS TRIALS, s.l.: Kurdish Center for Studies.

Human Rights Watch, 2023. Revictimizing the Victims: Children Unlawfully Detained in Northeast Syria, s.l.: Global Justic Journal.

Ajjoub, O., 2023. Why it’s time to repatriate IS foreign fighters, s.l.: Middle East Institute .

Human Rights Watch, 2022. east Syria: Fate of Hundreds of Boys Trapped in Siege Unknown Print DONATE NOW February 4, 2022 12:01AM EST Available In English العربية Deutsch Northeast Syria: Fate of Hundreds of Boys Trapped in Siege Unknown, s.l.: Human Rights Watch.

Watch, H. R., 2022. Syria: Repatriations Lag for Foreigners with Alleged ISIS Ties, s.l.: Human Rights Watch.

Fukuyama, F., 2004. State-Building Governance and World Order in the 21st Century. 1 ed. New York: Coronell University Press.

Buzan, B., Waever, O. & Wilde, J. d., 1998. Security - A New Framework For Analysis. 1 ed. London: Lynne Rienner Publishers, Inc..

Amnesty International (2012) Guantánamo: A decade of damage to human rights [online image]. Available from: <https://www.amnesty.org/en/news/guantanamo-decade-damage-human-rights-2012-01-11> [Accessed 17 March 2023].

BBC (2002) Internment: methods of interrogation [online image]. Available from: <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/uk_confidential/1731567.stm> [Accessed 15 March 2023].

Booth, K and Dunne, T (2002) World in Collision: Terror and the Future of Global Order. 1st ed. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Human Rights Watch (2012) Facts and Figures: Military Commissions v. Federal Courts [online image]. Available from: < http://www.hrw.org/features/guantanamo-facts-figures > [Accessed 17 March 2023].

Hart, W (2014) From Geneva to Abu Ghraib: The Normalization and Justification of the Bush Torture Policies. [online image]. Available from: <http://www.academia.edu/445592/From_Geneva_to_Abu_Ghraib_The_Normalization_and_Justification_of_the_Bush_Torture_Policies> [Accessed 20 March 2023].

Fukuyama F (1992) The end of history and the last man. 1st ed. England: Penguin books.

Gardner, H (2005) American global strategy and the war on terrorism. 1st ed. England: Ashgate.

Human Rights Watch (2012) Guantanamo Ten Years on [online image]. Available from: <http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/01/06/guantanamo-ten-years> [Accessed 17 March 2023].

Shingavi, S (2010) India's New Crackdown in Kashmir. [online image]. Available from: <http://www.cetri.be/spip.php?article1688&lang=en> [Accessed 14 March 2023].

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: United Nations Human Rights (1966) [online image]. Available from: <http://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/ccpr.aspx> [Accessed 15 March 2023].

Daivs, F (2004) Internment without Trial: the Lessons from the United States, Northern Ireland & Israel [online image]. Available from: <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=575481> [Accessed 15 March 2023].

Neumann, P (2009) Old & New Terrorism. 1st ed. Cambridge (UK), Malden (USA): Polity Press.

Dellora, M (2012) This House Would Detain Terror Suspects without Trial. [online image]. Available from: <http://www.debata.idebate.org/debatabase/debates/extraordinary-rendition/house-would-detain-terror-suspects-without-trial > [Accessed 15 March 2023].

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) [online image]. Available from: <http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml#a9> [Accessed 15 March 2023].

Zayas, Aldred de (2005) International Review of the Red Cross. Human rights and indefinite detention [online], 87(857) March, 15-21. Available from: <http://www.icrc.org/eng/assets/files/other/irrc_857_zayas.pdf> [Accessed 15 March 2023].

Human Rights Watch ( 2017): Flawed Justice Accountability for ISIS Crimes in Iraq.

Flawed Justice: Accountability for ISIS Crimes in Iraq | HRW

Independent International Commission of Inquiry on The Syrian Arab Republic (2024): Punishing the Innocent: Ending Violations Against Children in Northeast Syria.

-03-18-punishing-innocent.pdf (ohchr.org)

Hawre Ahmed (2022): The Core International Crimes Committed by the Islamic State, Kurdistan Center for International Law.

The Core International Crimes Committed by the Islamic State (kc-interlaw.org)

Dave van Zoonen and Khogir Wirya (2017): The Yazidis Perceptions of Reconciliation and Conflict, Middle East Research Institute.

https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/Yazidis-Perceptions-of-Reconciliation-and-Conflict-Report.pdf?fbclid=IwAR2qbb_phWK_vX2CxydPsnP09WClHS9nRURDbuixKLpecDsClJ9lHxHdCR8

Pieter OMTZIGT (2017): Prosecuting and punishing the crimes against humanity or even possible genocide committed by Daesh, Council of Europe, Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights.

https://website-pace.net/documents/19838/3254453/20170905-DaeshCrimes-EN.pdf/ad278726-8a64-4998-b996-d4f470ea2d0e

Sarhang Hamasaeed and Garrett Nada(2020): Iraq Timeline: Since the 2003 War, United States Institute of Peace.

https://www.usip.org/iraq-timeline-2003-war#textonly

Annekathryn Goodman, Hannah Bergbower, Violette Perrotte, Arun Chaudhary (2020): Survival after Sexual Violence and Genocide: Trauma and Healing for Yazidi Women in Northern Iraq, Scientific Research Publishing.

https://www.scirp.org/pdf/health_2020061715205745.pdf

Ján Kubiš and Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein (2016): A Call for Accountability and Protection: Yezidi Survivors of Atrocities Committed by ISIL, Office Of The United Nations High Commissioner For Human Rights.

https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Countries/IQ/UNAMIReport12Aug2016_en.pdf

Paul Seils (2016): Handbook on Complementarity An Introduction to the Role of National Courts and the ICC in Prosecuting International Crimes, International Center f0r Transitional Justice.

https://www.ictj.org/sites/default/files/ICTJ_Handbook_ICC_Complementarity_2016.pdf

Philip Alston and Ryan GoodMan (2013): International Human Rights, the Successor to International Human Rights in Context, Oxford University Press. United Kingdom.

The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948).

Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC, 1998).

Published

2025-02-28

Issue

Section

Humanities & Social Sciences

How to Cite

Detaining ISIS terrorist suspects without trial by the USA in Rojava-Syria. (2025). Journal of University of Raparin, 12(1), 761-791. https://doi.org/10.26750/Vol(12).No(1).Paper37