Kurdish authorities in Syria's Hasakah province have released 180 prisoners previously held on terrorism charges and linked to the Islamic State (IS) group. This move comes as part of a broader amnesty granted last week to hundreds of detainees by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Local media reported that crowds gathered outside al-Sinaa prison in Hasakah's Ghweran district on Sunday and Monday to witness the detainees' release. The SDF currently holds over 10,000 IS fighters, including 2,000 foreigners whose home countries have refused to repatriate them, across approximately two dozen detention centers in northeast Syria.

The amnesty, which extends to more than 1,500 prisoners, including 60 women, was influenced by prominent local tribes and figures, according to North Press. However, it specifically excludes IS officials, combatants against the SDF, and perpetrators of lethal bombings. Among those set for release are inmates with terminal illnesses, individuals serving life sentences, and detainees aged 75 and above.

In April, Amnesty International reported numerous deaths in Kurdish-run prisons in Syria due to torture and harsh treatment of detainees suspected of IS ties. Amnesty accused Kurdish authorities of committing war crimes at these facilities, where over 56,000 people, mostly children, are detained. Many detainees are held at al-Hol and Roj camps, including Yazidis who were enslaved during IS's genocidal campaign in Iraq and Syria.

Most detainees in these camps were captured during the final battles between IS and the SDF near Baghouz in 2019. Many women were victims of trafficking and forced marriages with IS militants. Despite international calls, many countries have refused to repatriate their nationals from these camps, citing security concerns.

On Tuesday, Mahmoud Alo, a civil activist in Syrian Kurdistan, told BasNews that the Democratic Union Party (PYD) has released about 200 IS prisoners. However, the fate of Kurdish politicians, journalists, and leaders of the Kurdish National Council in Syria (ENKS) remains unknown. The activist criticized the release of IS prisoners while Kurdish politicians are still detained, suggesting it reflects the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and its Syrian wing PYD's policies that do not prioritize Kurdish interests.

Last month, 15 journalists and politicians of the ENKS were arrested by the ruling party in Syrian Kurdistan. There has been no news on their whereabouts or conditions since their detention.