The United States has expressed its deep concern over reports of the death of Amin Issa al-Ali while he was being held by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The United States is deeply concerned about reports of Ali's death while in SDF custody, tweeted the US embassy in Syria.
“We call for an immediate and transparent investigation. Anyone determined to be responsible for abuse or mistreatment of detainees must be held accountable.”
Ali’s family said on Tuesday that he had been killed under torture, an accusation that sparked widespread condemnation, which was strongly denied by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (Rojava).
On May 22, the Kurdish security forces (Asayish) in al-Hasakah city arrested Ali, 34, a real estate developer and father of two. He was a member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party’s subcommittee.
The family received his corpse on June 28. It issued a statement confirming that there were signs of severe torture on his body.
A medical examiner hired by the family detected a "fractured jaw and bleeding in the skull", according to the family's statement.
There were also "bruises on the knees... the neck, and the back of the head," as well as burns, it added.
The family said it held the Kurdish administration responsible for the "death of our son under torture since it is a de-facto government responsible for the safety and security of all citizens living in areas under its control".
Kurdish activists were pressing Kurdish authorities to investigate the death.
It is the first time the Kurdish forces are directly accused of torturing detainees in their prisons.
Since its establishment after the outbreak of the conflict and the gradual withdrawal of the regime forces from their areas, the Autonomous Administration has presented a model of democratic rule in war-torn Syria.
However, critics accuse Kurdish-led forces of having recruited child soldiers and the administration of having detained political opponents, charges they deny.
