By Darrin Simmons
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

DAMASCUS, Syria-Syrian authorities have released at least 10 women detainees, with other reports amounting to 16 detainees, in a hostage deal with kidnappers in northern Syria.  The women were the first of 126 women expected to be freed in a three-way prisoner and hostage swap.

The release of the women was the main demand of kidnappers who released nine Lebanese men who were held hostage for 17 months.  The nine hostages and two Turkish pilots were abducted in Lebanon and were freed last week under a deal negotiated by Qatar.

Syria has made no official comment about the release, nor has it acknowledged playing any role in the hostage exchange deal.  The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a pro-opposition monitoring group, stated that Damascus had released dozens of prisoners last week, who also may have been part of the deal.

Turkey hosts many opposition groups and has generally kept its border open to rebels.  The Turkish pilots were abducted by relatives of the Lebanese hostages to put pressure on Turkey since it is believed to hold sway with the opposition.

“They [the women] were released overnight.  We do not know if more will be released today or later, or if that is it.  We are waiting,” said a Syrian human rights activist.

“For their own safety, they will have to leave the country,” said activist Semar Nassar.  “Among them was a cancer patient who had been imprisoned twice before and whose husband has been killed in Syria’s 31-month-old conflict,” continued Nassar.

Little information has been provided about the women who were released or when they were originally detained.  It is believed that the women are those whose release Syrian rebels had originally demanded as the price for freeing the Lebanese hostages.

Other activists have reported that only 13 female prisoners were released in Damascus province, but it was uncertain whether their release was related to the exchange deal.  There has been no official comment in Damascus on the women detainees.

For more information, please see the following:

Al Arabiya-Syria frees 14 women detainees after hostage deal-23 October 2013

Al Jazeera-Syria frees women detainees in hostage deal-23 October 2013

Global Post-Syria frees 14 women detainees after hostage deal-23 October 2013

Guardian-Syria frees 10 women in hostage deal-23 October 2013