Palestinian Islamic Jihad co-founder threatened with 'unlawful' deportation from Syria

Adel al-Natour, a 71-year-old co-founder and former member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), faces imminent deportation from Syria after being held without trial since his arrest on 18 September 2025. Natour has been detained more than 11 months, allowed only four family visits, and his relatives say he lost 20 kilograms between his detention and the first visit four months later. Syrian security forces informed the family on a Saturday that he would be deported within 10 days, prompting an urgent but stalled attempt to appeal the order.

"He is cut off from the world and didn’t even know the war in Gaza had ended," said Israa, Natour’s daughter, describing his condition at the first family visit. "Given the choice, my father would rather stay in prison than face deportation."

Context and background

Born in 1955 in a Rafah refugee camp, Natour co-founded PIJ in 1981 but, according to his family, ceased political and military activities in 1995 in protest at Iranian interference and a shift away from what he viewed as the Palestinian cause. His life since has been shaped by repeated expulsions and exile: detained and deported by Israel multiple times, he lived in Algeria, Libya and then settled in Syria in 1992.

Natour has previously suffered detention in Syria; in 2008 he was held for three months in the Palestine Branch. During the Syrian conflict he sheltered opposition activists in Yarmouk and fled the camp in 2012 when security forces laid siege. His daughter said he argued for neutrality among Palestinian factions and provided humanitarian aid, describing him as "the Godfather of Yarmouk camp" at the time.

• 1955: Born in Rafah refugee camp
• 1981: Co-founded Palestinian Islamic Jihad
• 1995: Family says Natour left PIJ
• 18 September 2025: Detained by Syrian authorities
• More than 11 months detained with no trial or access to counsel

The family holds Syrian residency papers but not citizenship, and all travel documents were seized during the security forces’ search of their home. They say lawyers and courts have refused to process an appeal because no formal charges have been presented. The family is exploring refuge in Malaysia — where Palestinians do not need tourist visas — but have no guarantee of residency or protection from further deportation.

Bassam Alahmad, executive director of Syrians for Truth and Justice, called Natour’s detention unlawful and emblematic of a wider pattern since the interim authorities, led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, assumed power in December 2024. "Even if he had violated a Syrian law or committed a crime, he has a full right to a fair trial and appeal," Alahmad said. His organisation has documented nearly two dozen cases of enforced disappearance and more than a dozen deaths under torture since 2024.

Outlook

Natour’s son, Muamen, warned that deporting a long-term Palestinian resident would set a precedent affecting hundreds of thousands of refugees in Syria: "My father’s deportation would set a precedent for others to also be forced to leave the country." The family’s immediate prospects are uncertain: repeated assurances from security forces that Natour would be released were not honored, and a formal legal pathway to challenge the deportation is blocked by the absence of charges. The case comes as Damascus negotiates security arrangements with Israel and as Washington has publicly said it will monitor any measures to ban Palestinian armed groups from Syrian territory following the lifting of some US sanctions on the country.