A Turkish court has sentenced four border guards to life in prison for torturing two Syrian migrants to death along the Syrian border in 2023, according to a verdict obtained by Agence France-Presse.
The ruling, delivered earlier this week in Hatay province, found the officers guilty of fatally beating the migrants with iron bars and forcing them to swallow gasoline. The victims, identified as Abdurrezzak Kastal and Abdulsettar Elhaccar, were among a group of eight Syrians detained in March 2023 after crossing into Turkey.
According to the indictment, the group had entered Turkey illegally and were apprehended by security forces stationed near the border wall in Hatay. Prosecutors said the two men were subjected to severe physical abuse while in custody and later died from their injuries. The remaining six were returned to Syria and hospitalized.
Seven other officers were convicted in May of related offenses, including intentional injury and destruction of evidence. They received prison terms ranging from several months to seven-and-a-half years.
The case has drawn widespread attention amid growing concerns over the treatment of migrants and refugees in Turkey, which hosts the world’s largest Syrian refugee population.
Nearly 2.7 million Syrians remain in Turkey, down from previous estimates. Turkish authorities say around 275,000 Syrians have returned to their country since President Bashar al-Assad was ousted in December 2024.
Rights groups have called on Turkish authorities to ensure accountability for abuses by border security forces. Human Rights Watch and other organizations have documented past allegations of mistreatment and pushbacks along the Syrian border.
The Turkish government has defended its border security policies, citing national security and irregular migration concerns. It has also emphasized that returns to Syria must be voluntary and carried out under safe conditions.
The court’s decision to impose life sentences marks one of the harshest punishments handed down in a migrant abuse case involving security personnel in recent years.
