317 Palestinian refugees lost in Syria, rights group says

London-based human rights observers Action Group for Palestinians of Syria revealed yesterday that it had documented the disappearance of 317 Palestinian refugees since the start of the war in Syria.

In a statement, the Action Group said that half of the lost Palestinian refugees were residents of Al-Yarmouk Refugee Camp, Safa news agency reported. The Action Group accused militias affiliated with the Syrian regime of kidnapping and arresting Palestinians under the pretext that they were wanted by the Syrian security services or in order to oblige the families to pay ransom.

The statement pointed out that there are a large number of detainees inside Syrian regime jails, which has refused to release details about there whereabouts or their condition. Witnesses told the group that there are prisoners inside Syrian regime prisons whose names have been reported as lost.

Meanwhile, the Action Group reported that 24-year-old Palestinian refugee Mohammad Adnan Ammouri was lost four months ago in Germany.

Ammouri had fled Syrian oppression in Al-Yarmouk Refugee Camp and immigrated to the Netherlands before moving to Germany 18 months ago. The Action Group said that he is suffering from several diseases.

His family has called for international rights and humanitarian groups to help them gain contact with their son or to at least know where he is now.

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