Saudi Ministry of Education to showcase innovations at 2025 Geneva International Exhibition    7,523 violators of residency, labor, and border security laws deported in a week    Video contradicts Israeli army account of deadly March 23 strike on Gaza paramedics    Saudi Arabia spends over $241 million to implement de-mining projects in 3 countries    Italy's Meloni government approves controversial security decree expanding police protections and penalties    Egypt submits new Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange proposal: Report    'Everything is possible' — Ronaldo focused on titles, not 1,000-goal milestone after Riyadh Derby win    Saudi, US military leaders discuss enhanced defense cooperation in Riyadh    King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language launches program with Indiana University    Ronaldo brace powers Al Nassr past Al Hilal in Riyadh derby thriller    Ed Sheeran weaves Persian music into new song, Azizam    Al-Jadaan: Crown Prince's directives confirm government's ability to bring back balance to real estate market    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Foreign investors are allowed to engage in real estate business outside Makkah and Madinah Commercial speculation should not be the purpose of real estate transaction    Aubameyang fires Al Qadsiah into King's Cup final with stoppage-time winner over Al Raed    Musk's X is suing India, as Tesla and Starlink plan entry    Tesla sales plunge after backlash against Elon Musk    Danilo Pereira fires Al Ittihad into King's Cup final with dramatic stoppage-time double    Screen time in bed linked to insomnia, study finds    Mexico bans junk food in schools to fight childhood obesity epidemic    Sweet sales surge ahead of Eid as Saudi chocolate imports top 123 million kg in 2024    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    King Salman prays for peace and stability for Palestinians in Ramadan message King reaffirms Saudi Arabia's commitment to serving the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Australian teen feared killed in Syrian jail
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 18 - 07 - 2022

An Australian teenager taken to Syria as a child is feared dead after languishing in an adult prison for three years.
Yusuf Zahab was 11 years old when he was taken to Syria in 2015 by relatives who had been radicalized. He was imprisoned without charge in 2019.
His Sydney-based family say they are "heartbroken and angry" because the 17-year-old had begged for help for years.
Australia has previously said it is too dangerous to repatriate its citizens.
It is unclear exactly when or how Yusuf is suspected to have died. Rights groups say he was injured in January when the so-called Islamic State group attacked a prison in Syria's Kurdish-controlled north-east in a bid to free its fighters.
Kurdish-led forces, with US support, battled the militants for a week, leaving more than 180 people dead.
At the time, Yusuf told family in voice recordings he was scared he "might die at any time" as fighting intensified.
"I lost a lot of blood... There's no doctors here, there's no one who can help me," he said.
Yusuf was among around 850 children who had been detained at the prison after the fall of IS in 2019 in case they posed a risk, the UN children's charity Unicef said.
His family described him as a happy and compassionate child who loved sport, school and playing with his cousins.
"Even in the final messages we received from Yusuf, he asked us to tell his mum that he loved and missed her," they said in a statement.
They said Australia's previous government "knew about Yusuf's predicament for more than three years" before being leaving office in May, adding: "We are unaware of any efforts to support, care or inquire about him."
The family and advocacy groups Human Rights Watch and Save the Children have pleaded for Australia to repatriate women and children who remain in Syria.
Australia evacuated eight orphans in 2019, but at least 63 Australians remain stuck in Syria. Of them, up to 40 are children, the groups say.
"We have to remember these children were brought there against their will or were born over there," Human Rights Watch's Sophie McNeill told the ABC.
Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it is working to confirm that Yusuf has been killed, but his family has been offered consular assistance.
The government remains "deeply concerned" about Australians in northeast Syria but its assistance is "extremely limited" due to security dangers, the department said in a statement. — BBC


Clic here to read the story from its source.