After the Government of Syria (GoS) took control of Homs northern countryside it continues to pressure young people to fight against the areas which rose up against GoS, following its policy of using the threat of forced displacement as leverage. Young men in Hom are currently being conscripted, and are pursued in their towns’ neighborhoods and streets. Some young men even prefer to remain hidden for months instead of fighting on the GoS fronts. This act constitutes a violation of the agreement concluded between the GoS and opposition armed groups – under Russian guarantee – which provides for granting Homs’ youths six months before compulsory service in the Syrian Arab Army (SAA). However, GoS forces have violated the agreement and begun an arrest campaign for young people to force them to fight in battles in Daraa province, without any prior military training.

Hassan, a man over 40-years-old, is a school principal. During one of his periodic visits to the Directorate of Education in Homs, he was arrested by the military police patrol and then transferred to a military unit in Daraa, within a period not exceeding one week from the date of his arrest. The same applies to three young men, whose are not more than 19-years-old. They were also arrested and transferred to military fronts immediately without prior notification, and without any prior military training as well.

The policy of forced conscription in Homs has pushed young people to flee or hide, making the city suffer from lack of this age group, as well as the spread of unemployment.

The Syrian Civic Platform calls upon the guarantor parties of the reconciliation agreement to implement its terms. The GoS must undertake its obligations not to arrest and force youth into fighting during this agreement’s implementation period.

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