Ahmed Katie, a Syrian human rights activist, has been reportedly detained by Turkish authorities two days ago. The arrest was made without providing any details about the background or reasons, as confirmed by another human rights activist.

Katie has ceased all communication with his relatives since 5:00 pm on Monday, November 27.

His wife, who preferred to remain anonymous for security reasons, stated that she has appointed a lawyer to find out the reason for his arrest. She also mentioned that some of his relatives are reaching out to various human rights organizations and government agencies to uncover the circumstances surrounding the detention.

Human rights activist Taha al-Ghazi posted on his Facebook page on November 28, urging the Turkish authorities to ensure Katie’s safety and release him as soon as possible. Al-Ghazi told Enab Baladi that the reason for Katie’s arrest is still unknown at the moment.

Katie’s wife confirmed that she tried to contact him but received only one response where he briefly answered the phone and then it was disconnected. Since then, the phone has been turned off, according to her conversation with Enab Baladi.

She further revealed that she reached out to one of her husband’s relatives who works in the same area in the Fatih district of Istanbul city before learning about his arrest. The relative informed her that her husband had received a phone call from a security entity asking him to go to a location that he did not disclose.

Earlier, Katie posted on his Facebook page on October 29, stating that he has completely suspended his media and human rights activities due to special circumstances and recent pressures. He mentioned that he will resume his work when the appropriate environment and tools are available, as stated in the post.

After about 15 days of announcing the suspension of his human rights activities, Katie posted again on his Facebook page, emphasizing the existence of certain situations that he cannot remain silent about and must explicitly disclose.

Katie’s wife informed Enab Baladi that he has been subjected to harassment and pressures in recent times, which led to his decision to suspend his human rights work.

Security campaigns

The security campaign launched by Turkish authorities since July has had an impact on the movement of Syrians and their relocation between their places of residence and work, especially in Istanbul.

Syrian refugees in Turkey have been facing various pressures in recent months, including economic and livelihood conditions, and security campaigns that targeted temporary protection cardholders (Kimlik) who reside in cities other than their designated places of residence. This has resulted in a noticeable decline in the number of Syrian refugees residing in Turkey under the Temporary Protection Law.

According to the latest statistics from the Turkish Presidency of Migration Management, there are 3,241,396 people currently residing in Turkey under temporary protection status.