Statements

For several days, the Syrian Transitional Government has been carrying out an escalating assault on Aleppo's Kurdish-majority neighborhoods, Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh. Residential communities are currently under fire from rockets, artillery, small arms, and suicide drones.

According to documentation from the ANHA news agency, the human cost of this aggression is already devastating:

• 13 civilians confirmed dead.

• 64 individuals injured, including children in critical condition.

• Hundreds of homes and essential service facilities, including a local hospital, have sustained serious damage.

Thousands of residents have fled, while the majority remain trapped under a total siege in what the government has officially designated a "military zone."

These actions represent a grave violation of human rights and a dangerous betrayal of the peace process. Specifically, these attacks violate the April 2025 agreement between the Syrian state and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). This landmark agreement was intended to reunify the country while respecting the self-determination of local communities by:

1. Permitting the free movement of local residents.

2. Ensuring the retention of the internal security force (Asayish).

3. Guaranteeing the demilitarization of areas surrounding these neighborhoods.

Following reports of state-backed massacres of Alawites on the Syrian coast and Druze in Suwayda, the targeting of Aleppo’s historic Kurdish communities suggests a systematic ethnic cleansing operation. As Syrian Kurdish diplomat Ilham Ahmed recently stated:

"These attacks amount to a war of extermination against the Kurds."

Our Demands

While the local Asayish forces defend their homes and SDF Commander Mazlum Kobani seeks a ceasefire, the international community cannot remain silent. Justicenow calls upon the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Congress, and international stakeholders to demand that the Syrian Transitional Government immediately fulfill the following:

• Cease all military attacks against residential areas immediately.

• Lift the “military zone” designation over Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh.

• End the government-enforced blockade to allow for humanitarian aid and movement.

• Resume good-faith peace negotiations with the SDF.

Furthermore, we call upon the United Nations, the United States, the Arab League, and the European Union to intervene and halt Turkey’s support of proxy militias currently fighting on behalf of the Damascus government.

We stand in unwavering solidarity with the people of Rojava. We support the vision of a pluralistic, democratic Syrian constitution that respects the rights of all ethnic and religious communities to live in peace and security.

Authentic democracy is the only path to lasting peace!

JANUARY 16, 2026 — JusticeNow issued an urgent call for international attention as the Islamic Republic’s digital blackout enters its second week, serving as a tactical shroud for a lethal military crackdown in Eastern Kurdistan (Rojhelat) and Iran.

While nationwide protests were ignited by the December 28 currency collapse, Rojhalat has been subjected to a disproportionate and militarized "clearing operation." Reports verified by local networks, despite near-total connectivity failure, indicate that the IRGC and the Nabi Akram Operational Division have deployed heavy weaponry and live ammunition in cities including Sine, Mahabad, and Saqqez.

The internet shutdown, which escalated from targeted throttling on December 29 to a total nationwide blackout on January 8, has hit Iran with unique severity. Data from Cloudflare and Filterwatch confirm that internet traffic in Iran remains near zero. In Kurdish provinces, this has been compounded by the active jamming of satellite signals and the confiscation of Starlink terminals, intended to isolate the region from global scrutiny.

“The regime has plunged Rojhelat into digital darkness because they cannot allow the world to see the scale of the massacre,” said a spokesperson for JusticeNow. “They are stopping the wounded from finding medical help and the families of the disappeared from seeking justice. This is a deliberate state policy to facilitate mass killing with impunity.”

As of January 13, the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has documented at least 2,403 protesters killed and over 18,000 arrests nationwide. JusticeNow warns that the true death toll in Rojhelat is likely much higher, as Kurdish organizations including those who led the general strike on January 8 report systematic targeting and killing. 

We join the international community including the UN's Independent International Fact-Finding Mission, in calling on Iran to immediately restore internet and mobile communications and in demanding accountability and transparency for the grave human rights violations documented in the country. 

we demand authorities immediately end the violent crackdown on protesters, restore internet access across the country, uphold fundamental rights, launch an independent investigation into the reported violence and ensure accountability.

JANUARY 21, 2026 —JusticeNow expresses grave concern following reports of the escape of at least 120 ISIL detainees from Shaddadi Prison in Hasakah province, a facility under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Authorities say 81 detainees have been recaptured.

The SDF reports that the number of escapees may be as high as 1,500 after an attack by government-aligned forces that temporarily compromised security,  a claim denied by the Syrian army. Those who escaped include some of ISIL’s most dangerous operatives.

This incident follows other security breaches, including the coordinated attack on Raqqa’s Aqtan Prison, involving drones, heavy weapons, and continued shelling. These events are part of the attacks of the Syrian temporary government forces, which have escalated since late 2025, endangering civilians and further destabilizing northeastern Syria.

This crisis highlights a longstanding failure to ensure accountability for ISIL crimes. From 2013 to 2019, ISIL controlled large parts of Syria. Thousands of members were detained under SDF oversight, yet the international community has failed to implement a sustainable mechanism to prosecute ISIL suspects for international crimes, despite repeated warnings from survivors and civil society.

JusticeNow emphasizes that security vacuums put civilians, especially minority communities, at grave risk. Immediate action is required to prevent further violence and protect affected communities.

JusticeNow Urgently calls on: 

JusticeNow calls on the international community, regional actors, and civil society to respond without delay to the escalating threats in northeastern Syria and the ongoing risks posed by ISIL detainees.

1. The safety of civilians in Rojava and neighboring conflict- affected zones must be prioritized. Urgent interventions are needed to halt violence, prevent further displacement, and reduce the impact of armed clashes on communities already facing instability.

2. All facilities holding ISIL prisoners must be reinforced and safeguarded against attacks or security lapses. Governments and international bodies  including the UN, the EU, the US, Turkey, Qatar, and others with influence have a responsibility to prevent the release or escape of detainees without due process, as this endangers regional stability and civilian populations. Technical, financial, and security assistance should be provided to ensure these sites are managed safely and in accordance with international law.

3. A coordinated and survivor-focused system is urgently needed to hold ISIL members accountable for crimes including genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. States with universal jurisdiction should expand investigations and prosecutions. Current efforts, limited to a few trials in Europe, are grossly insufficient relative to the scale of ISIL’s crimes. Nations whose citizens are detained must either repatriate and prosecute them or support an international or hybrid court capable of fair and meaningful trials.

4. Survivors, civil society, and relevant authorities must have transparent access to evidence collected on ISIL’s crimes. The premature end of  the UN Investigate Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Daesh/ISL (UNITAD) mandate has left critical documentation largely inaccessible, undermining justice and delaying accountability.

5. Syria requires a comprehensive transitional justice framework that centers survivors’ voices and addresses both past and ongoing violations. Mechanisms should combine truth-telling, criminal accountability, reparations, and safeguards against future abuses, laying the foundation for reconciliation and durable peace.

JusticeNow stresses that justice is needed now! Without urgent action, ISIL operatives may return to vulnerable communities, posing renewed threats to people, the regional stability as well as international security. , and regional security.

Government-imposed internet shutdowns are increasingly used as tools of repression. In Iran, nationwide connectivity blackouts imposed amid ongoing protests have cut millions of people off from the outside world—severing access to communication, emergency services, independent information, and human rights documentation.

Evidence from Iran and other contexts demonstrates that internet shutdowns are not neutral security measures. They are deliberately used to suppress dissent, obscure violence, and isolate populations. During prolonged blackouts, essential services including healthcare coordination, banking, humanitarian response, and emergency communications are severely disrupted, compounding civilian harm and increasing the risk of human rights violations.

While limited connectivity has been intermittently restored in Iran, access remains heavily restricted, filtered, and monitored. Millions remain unable to communicate freely with loved ones, safely share information, or document abuses. Human rights monitors have confirmed thousands of deaths during blackout periods, while civil society organisations warn that the true scale of harm remains unknown due to information suppression.

Satellite Connectivity Works — But Access Is Unequal

Experience in Iran has shown that satellite-based connectivity can function during government-imposed shutdowns. However, current Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite internet systems rely on expensive terminals, smuggling networks, and technical expertise—placing access out of reach for most civilians and exposing users to serious legal and physical risks. As a result, connectivity is limited to a small, privileged minority, while communities facing the most severe repression remain invisible.

Direct-to-Cell (D2C) Technology Changes What Is Possible

Direct-to-Cell satellite technology removes these barriers by connecting satellites directly to standard smartphones—without specialised equipment, smuggling, or prohibitive costs. Most smartphones manufactured after 2020 are already compatible with emerging D2C systems, including devices widely used in Iran and other shutdown-affected regions.

D2C technology has already been demonstrated by multiple companies and is actively being deployed. Its feasibility is no longer theoretical. What remains undecided is whether humanitarian access will be embedded into its regulatory, technical, and operational frameworks.

Why Humanitarian D2C Must Be Built In Now

If designed and authorised for crisis response, D2C connectivity can:

• Maintain family communication during shutdowns

• Support medical care and emergency coordination

• Enable humanitarian response and aid delivery

• Allow safe documentation of human rights violations

• Preserve access to independent information

If humanitarian use is not integrated at this stage, D2C infrastructure risks being optimised solely for profitable markets and leisure-oriented emergencies—leaving crisis zones unserved.

Iran Is Not an Isolated Case

Internet shutdowns have been repeatedly imposed in Myanmar, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kashmir, Bangladesh, Palestine, and dozens of other contexts. Across these regions, authorities have used connectivity restrictions to suppress civic space and conceal violence. Crisis-ready D2C connectivity could play a decisive role in protecting civilians wherever shutdowns are used as tools of control.

Our Call to Action

We call on governments, regulators, satellite providers, and international institutions to urgently enable humanitarian Direct-to-Cell satellite connectivity by:

1. Removing regulatory barriers to humanitarian connectivity
Ensure sanctions exemptions, licensing, and spectrum access allow satellite services to operate in shutdown-affected and authoritarian contexts during documented crises.

2. Prioritising crisis-ready satellite infrastructure
Design coverage, capacity, and rapid-activation protocols that serve crisis zones—not only commercially profitable markets.

3. Making connectivity accessible for people under duress
Ensure affordability, ease of activation, and compatibility with commonly used devices, including subsidised or pooled funding models during emergencies.

4. Establishing clear emergency response protocols
Create fast-track mechanisms to activate connectivity during shutdowns to support medical care, humanitarian coordination, family contact, and human rights documentation.

5. Investing in sustainable humanitarian connectivity models
Support partnerships between satellite providers, development agencies, and humanitarian actors to scale affordable access without relying on ad-hoc charity models.

Iran demonstrates that crisis-ready satellite connectivity is both technologically feasible and urgently necessary. The decisions being made now—on deployment, governance, and regulation—will determine whether this technology protects civilians or bypasses them.

For more information on Direct-to-Cell technology, visit:
direct2cell.org