A/HRC/43/57 have limited access to the outside world, with many still unaware of the whereabouts of their family members following the battles for control of Baghuz. 65. Elsewhere in areas under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces, civilians, including children, suffered violations of their rights. Notwithstanding the signing of an action plan between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the United Nations to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children under the age of 18 in June 2019, children aged 16 and 17 continued to be recruited by the Kurdish People’s Protection Units throughout the reported period, with multiple accounts emanating from Aleppo Governorate.32 66. The Syrian Democratic Forces also caused civilian deaths and injuries in other documented events. On 10 August, a 3-year-old child was shot in the back at a checkpoint as his father was parking his car in accordance with the instructions of members of the Syrian Democratic Forces. When a crowd came to protest the killing, members of the Syrian Democratic Forces opened fire and one civilian was injured by bullets in the back and leg. In Tabaqah, on 16 August, members of the Syrian Democratic Forces forced their way into the house of a doctor. The doctor was taken away and his spouse was physically assaulted. IV. Government-held areas 67. Living conditions remained dire in areas retaken by the Government, with residents, particularly in eastern Ghutah (Rif Dimashq), experiencing limited access to basic services and meagre progress on reconstruction. Where electricity is available, it is prohibitively expensive and often rationed. In Duma, electricity is only available on the main street, while water supplies in eastern Ghutah are unpotable. The movement of construction materials and furniture has also been heavily restricted, in particular between Duma and Misraba, further hampering efforts to rebuild homes. While some schools have reopened, the marginalization of qualified teachers with perceived affiliations to schooling systems that were in place under armed groups has affected the quality of education. 68. Civilians in areas retaken by the Government suffered from a general absence of the rule of law. Arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances 33 and detentions continued to be commonplace throughout areas such as Dar‘a, Duma and eastern Ghutah. During the period under review, large numbers of adult men were also detained purportedly for conscription. In Duma, a group of students travelling on 20 October to university to take examinations was stopped at a checkpoint staffed by officials from the General Security Directorate. Notwithstanding their status as students, the officers took 15 young men away, as their exemption from mandatory military service was deemed invalid. 34 69. The Government has also used the arrest and detention of family members to exert pressure during negotiations or to supress political participation. Relatives of members of the Constitution Committee were detained and interrogated.35 In the lead up to the convening of the forum at the end of October, security services implied that the treatment of relatives in the Syrian Arab Republic was contingent upon conduct during discussions. Women have also been threatened by the State security apparatus to prevent them from taking part in other civil society initiatives. 70. The use of “security reports” allegedly submitted by civilians as the basis of detention by the security apparatus was a concerning trend. People in eastern Ghutah, as well as other areas under Government control, reported living in constant fear of arrest due to 32 33 34 35 As of the date of submission of the present report, no response had been received from the Syrian Democratic Forces regarding these incidents. The Commission has already documented a pattern of enforced disappearances. Relatives continue to pay large sums of money to intermediaries and individuals representing the State for information on the whereabouts of disappeared persons. See, for example, the conference room paper “Out of sight, out of mind: deaths in detention in the Syrian Arab Republic” (A/HRC/31/CRP.1). Available from www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/IICISyria/Pages/Documentation.aspx. See Legislative Decree No. 30 of 2007, art. 10 (A). Protection concerns prevent the Commission from providing additional details. 13