Freedom for journalist Ahmet Polad (Mehmet Nizam Aslan)! International Coordination in Solidarity with Political Prisoners,”

 

Freedom for journalist Ahmet Polad (Mehmet Nizam Aslan)!

As the “International Coordination in Solidarity with Political Prisoners,” we demand the immediate release of the Kurdish journalist and political prisoner Ahmet Polad (real name: Mehmet Nîzam Aslan), who, after more than eight months of imprisonment in Syria, is now being held in Turkey. In January of this year, forces of the Syrian Transitional Government launched an operation against the autonomous administration of Northern and Eastern Syria (Rojava). During this operation, on January 18, 2026, two journalists -Eva Maria Michelmann and Ahmet Polad, who were reporting on current developments in Rojava- were abducted by forces of the Syrian Transitional Government and held for months without contact with the outside world.

Thanks to public pressure from family members, the “Where Are Eva and Ahmet?” initiative, the family’s attorney Roland Meister, as well as journalists, human rights activists, politicians, and people showing solidarity in Europe and in Rojava, it was finally possible to locate the two and have their detention officially confirmed. Witnesses reported that Eva Maria Michelmann and Ahmet Polad had been abducted on January 18 by an official vehicle of the Syrian transitional government.

The pressure on the German government and the international community paid off: On June 19, 2026, German citizen Eva Maria Michelmann was released after 152 days in detention and welcomed back to Germany. Ahmet Polad, however, remained in Syrian custody.

Ahmet Polad was held in HTS prisons for a total of eight months. During this time, he was subjected to severe physical and psychological abuse. On September 8, 2026, he was handed over by the Syrian transitional government to the Turkish intelligence service MİT and taken to Turkey. During the transport, his hands were reportedly tied behind his back and his head was covered with a sack. In Ankara, he was subsequently held unregistered under these conditions for two days and interrogated.

On September 11, Ahmet Polad was taken from Ankara to Istanbul, brought before a court, and detained on charges of “membership in an organization.” He was initially taken to Metris Prison. A few days later, he was transferred to Silivri-6 Prison, where he remains to this day. Ahmet exercised his right to remain silent before the police, the public prosecutor’s office, and the court.

hmet Polad was only able to tell his lawyers at Silivri Prison about his captivity in Syria after being transferred by the Turkish intelligence service. In Syria, he was subjected to severe abuse, death threats, and isolation for 8 months and was held in inhumane conditions with no contact with the outside world. During this time, he went on hunger strike for a total of four months in several separate periods to demand his right to contact his family or a lawyer. This right was denied to him.
Ahmet told the lawyers that he was held in a cell measuring approximately 1 × 2.5 meters. During his detention, he was repeatedly forced to cooperate or make statements against the Self-Defense Forces of Northern and Eastern Syria. He also reported receiving death threats and demands for so-called “repentance” or confessions.

According to his lawyers, both the conditions of his detention and the abuse he suffered have had significant health consequences. He must be released immediately and treated in a hospital. Ahmet’s situation is particularly critical, as he is now being held in Turkey because of his journalistic work, following eight months of imprisonment and severe mistreatment in Syria. His detention is not only an attack on press freedom and a violation of journalists’ rights, but also highlights how dangerous the situation is for journalists reporting on developments in Rojava, Kurdistan, and northern and eastern Syria.

However, the abductions of Ahmet Polad and Eva Maria Michelmann are not isolated incidents. Even before and after the abduction of these two journalists, thousands of people were arrested and abducted in connection with the conflicts and military operations in northern and eastern Syria. The cases of Ahmet and Eva have shown the consequences journalists may face when they report on the reality on the ground and give a voice to the people in the region.

We demand a full investigation and the release of all those unlawfully abducted and detained in Syria and Turkey! Neither the struggle for a free Kurdistan nor journalistic activities should be grounds for criminalization!

As an international coalition in the struggle for political prisoners, we demand an end to his detention and comprehensive medical care!

Freedom for Ahmet Polad (Mehmet Nizam Aslan)!

Freedom for all detained journalists!