Syria conducts prisoner exchange with Free Army

The Assad regime and the Syrian Free Army have begun the largest prisoner exchange to take place since the start of the conflict between them 22 months ago. More than 2,100 people imprisoned by the Assad regime are being released in exchange for 48 Iranian prisoners held by the Free Army. The Syrian rebels insist the 48 Iranians they have been holding captive for the last 5 months were aids to the Syrian government, but Iran has maintained they were in fact Shia pilgrims.

The exchange was brokered by multiple parties including Qatar, Turkey and the Turkish Islamic aid agency, the Humanitarian Relief Foundation. It was Qatar that allegedly persuaded the rebels not to carry out their threat to kill the Iranians unless Assad freed Syrian opposition detainees and stopped shelling civilian areas. The IHH has been involved in previous negotiations including the successful release of two Turkish journalists and several Syrian citizens. “Some of our friends are with the opposition groups and we are heading to the area where the prisoners are to be released,” Bulent Yildirim, head of the IHH, told the Anadolu news agency as the exchange process began. “Efforts under the Turkish and Qatari mediation continue, while the exchange started at several locations where prisoners were kept.”

“It is the first time that the humanitarian diplomacy we initiated succeeded in releasing such a large group of people at once,” he added. “There are many more held captive and our efforts to free them will continue without delay.”

The involvement of Turkey in this so-far successful exchange is notable, considering the Syrian government condemned what it has called “scandalous Turkish involvement.” Assad has not given any indication that he is willing to leave his position, but there has been one sign after another that his international support from nations such as Russia is beginning to crumble. Iran has been a solid ally of Syria, and some claim this prisoner exchange indicates Assad cares more about his relationship with Iran than his own soldiers, many of which are still being held in captivity by the rebels. The exchange suggests to some that Iranian-Assad relations are beginning to weaken.

“I’m wondering if this is the beginning of Iran starting to cut its losses, pulling out these folks, reducing its presence in the country,” said Mona Yacoubian, a senior adviser on the Middle East at the Stimson Center.