From a Syrian Prison to the UN: The Case of Bilal Abdul Kareem

The plight of American journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem, who has been detained in Syria for more than eight months without any publicly announced charge or trial, is being considered by UN experts in Geneva this week.

His case has been submitted to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which is sitting in Geneva until Friday. British journalist and member of the Justice For Bilal Abdul Kareem campaign, Yvonne Ridley, brought Abdul Kareem’s case to the attention of the UN body after months of campaigning for his release.

She said: “The question is very simple. If a government takes away a man’s freedom, where is the charge, where is the lawyer and where is the court? Bilal has now been detained for more than eight months. Either charge him with a recognised offence and give him a fair and transparent trial or release him.”

Abdul Kareem was detained by Syrian security forces on December 22, 2025, in Al-Bab in northern Aleppo.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, two vehicles belonging to the General Security Directorate arrived near Al-Fath Mosque before he was detained and taken away. No formal criminal charge against the American journalist has been publicly announced.

Abdul Kareem has lived in Syria since 2012 and became one of the most recognisable English-speaking journalists covering the war from opposition-held territory. He reported from areas where few foreign journalists were willing or able to operate and documented the bombing, sieges and suffering of civilians under the former Bashar al-Assad regime. He also worked with major international broadcasters during his years reporting from Syria and received journalism awards as a result. But his support for the Syrian revolution never translated into unconditional support for those who eventually came to power.

Abdul Kareem became increasingly critical of the new Syrian authorities under President Ahmed al-Sharaa and questioned whether some of the practices he had opposed under the old regime were being repeated. He had previously been detained for around six months by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham in 2020, when the group led by al-Sharaa controlled Idlib. After his release he spoke publicly about arbitrary detention, prisoners’ rights and the importance of due process.

Ridley said this made his latest detention particularly disturbing. “The Syrian revolution was supposed to empty the prisons of people who had been detained without justice,” she said. “It was not supposed to refill them. Bilal spent years reporting the crimes and injustices of the Assad regime. He did not do that so another generation could discover what it is like to have someone taken away without knowing when they will see a courtroom.”

Abdul Kareem had become increasingly outspoken before his arrest.

Among the issues he criticised were Syria’s growing relationship with Washington, the presence of American forces and the decision of the new Syrian government to join the US-led coalition against Islamic State. He had also continued raising cases involving prisoners and alleged abuses by the authorities. Ridley insists the campaign for Abdul Kareem is not about whether people agree with his political or religious views.

“You do not have to agree with Bilal Abdul Kareem to defend his right to justice. Due process means nothing if we only demand it for people whose opinions we like,” Ridley emphasized. “If the Syrian authorities believe Bilal has committed a crime, tell him what it is. Give him access to a lawyer. Put the evidence before a proper court and let him defend himself. If they cannot do that, he should be released.”

The case has attracted international concern.

The Committee to Protect Journalists has documented Abdul Kareem’s detention while press freedom and human rights campaigners have repeatedly raised concerns about his legal status. His detention is also becoming an important test for a Syrian government which has promised that the abuses associated with the Assad era will not be repeated. The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention examines cases where people may have been deprived of their liberty in breach of international human rights standards.

It can seek information from governments about the legal basis for detention and issue opinions on whether imprisonment amounts to arbitrary detention. Ridley hopes bringing Abdul Kareem’s case before the UN experts will finally force some answers. There has been endless speculation and gossip about how or why he is detained and I am deeply dismayed and surprised by some of the sources of this unfounded, curtain twitching gossip.

She added, “This is an opportunity for the new Syria to show the world that it really is different. No government should fear a courtroom if it has evidence. No journalist should fear a prison cell simply because he asks difficult questions. Bilal Abdul Kareem deserves to know why he is being held. Charge him or release him.”

Umm Jaabir is an advocate for justice and prisoners’ rights, as well as the founder and spokesperson of the Justice For Bilal Abdul Kareem campaign. She is working with British journalist Yvonne Ridley to call for the release of African American journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem. He has been detained in Syria since 22 December 2025, without charge or trial and with no access to a lawyer.

“When I discovered that Bilal had been detained without charge or trial, the silence surrounding his case was deafening and, to some degree, it still is. The campaign was born out of that silence, from the belief that we could not simply look away. Bilal spent years using his voice to stand for justice and the rights of others, regardless of their faith, gender or background. Now that his own rights and freedom are at stake, that same principle must apply to him.

“But this is not about Bilal alone. No one should have to endure the injustice of being deprived of their freedom without charge, trial or access to legal representation. Justice must mean justice for everyone. A man who spoke up for others’ rights should not be met with silence when he needs others to speak for his rights.

Yvonne, Bilal’s friend and colleague, has worked tirelessly to advocate for his release. Her support, commitment and experience have been invaluable to the campaign, helping to strengthen our voice and carry Bilal’s case further.

To follow the Justice For Bilal Abdul Kareem campaign, connect with us on social media, get in touch, or find out how you can support and contribute to our efforts, please visit:

linktr.ee/JusticeForBilalAbdulKareem

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