As Syria rebels quit Douma, questions linger over detainees, activists

AFP — As Syrian rebels evacuate their holdout town of Douma, hope is dwindling that four iconic activists and hundreds of others suspected to have been kidnapped there will be found alive.

Jaish al-Islam has released 200 detainees as part of an evacuation deal reached Sunday, but the fate of several thousand more is unknown, including four human rights defenders.

Razan Zeitouneh, Wael Hamada, Samira Khalil and Nazem al-Hammadi were abducted by unidentified assailants in December 2013 from the office of a rights group they ran together in the town.

Residents largely blame Jaish al-Islam but the group has denied involvement.

“We’re even more afraid now that Jaish al-Islam has practically handed over Douma to the regime and we haven’t heard anything,” Hamada’s brother Basel tells AFP.

The four played an active role in Syria’s anti-regime uprising since 2011 but were also documenting violations by Jaish al-Islam.