Orkesh Center

The Orkesh Center is a facility in Syrian Kurdistan near Qamishli, for boys 12 and up who are affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The program, which opened in late 2022, aims to rehabilitate ISIL's former child soldiers and reintegrate them into society.[1] Children stay in the program until they turn 18.[2] Many are foreign nationals, including children of British, French, German and American parents.[3]

Background

Boys living with their ISIL-supporting mothers in the Al-Roj refugee camp and Al-Hawl refugee camp are supposed to be sent to a deradicalization center when they turn 12; Al-Hawl's director said, "Those kids, once they reach the age of 12, they could become dangerous and could kill and beat up others. So we had a choice, which is to put them at rehabilitation centers and keep them away from the extreme ideology that their mothers carry." The boys were also sent away to protect them from sexual abuse and arranged child marriages,[1] as ISIL had issued a fatwa ordering women in the camps to reproduce.[4]

Detainees at Orkesh live in dormitories and take classes in Arabic, English, math, drawing, music and the trades. They are permitted to play sports and chess, watch cartoons and documentary films, and maintain contact with their families.[1][3] There is psychological support and medical care.[4][5]

The associate director of the Crisis and Conflict Division at Human Rights Watch criticized places like the Orkesh Center, saying, "While the transfer of these boys to separate detention centers may be well-intentioned, this is not rehabilitation. This is indefinite detention without charge of children, who are themselves victims," and that separation from their families would cause the boys further trauma.[1] The United Nations and the European Court of Human Rights have said the detention of the children of ISIL-supporting parents is contrary to international law.[6]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Press, Associated (2023-05-30). "Boys From Islamic State Families Undergo Rehabilitation in Syria, But Future Uncertain". Voice of America. Retrieved 2026-05-20.
  2. ↑ "Syria centre seeks to rehabilitate IS-scarred foreign children". Kurdistan24. 2023-03-11. Retrieved 2026-05-20.
  3. 1 2 Souleiman, Delil (2023-03-12). "Syria center seeks to rehabilitate foreign children scarred by Islamic State". The Times of Israel. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 2026-05-20.
  4. 1 2 Chapman, Lucas (June 26, 2023). "The Children of ISIS: KCS Reports from Roj Camp". The Kurdish Center for Studies. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
  5. ↑ Swails, Brent; Ward, Clarissa; Mohammad, Hasan (2024-06-11). "Children of ISIS fighters coming of age in detention ask what they're being punished for". CNN. Retrieved 2026-05-20.
  6. ↑ Java Discover | Free Global Documentaries & Clips (2025-02-25). The Lives of Terrorist's Children: Where do they go next? | Documentary. Retrieved 2026-05-20 – via YouTube.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.