About Abed Alkareem Shiah's activism
Abed was particularly active against the regime since the eve of the uprisings, notably by taking part in peaceful demonstrations calling for the end of Al Assad's rule. He was also involved in relief coordination, providing assistance to displaced people in Aleppo.

Given his involvement in political and humanitarian activities, he has always been at risk of being arrested or disappeared, which eventually happened.

Disappearance and secret detention
On 3 October 2011, Abed was abducted in a street near Al Rahma Mosque in Aleppo several members of the military security forces wearing uniforms. They beat him up before forcing him to get in a car that left for an unknown location.

After his arrest, Abed was reportedly seen by former prisoners on two occasions in late 2011 and early 2012, first in the Military Security branch of Aleppo and then in Damascus's, in a particularly bad condition. Despite the different steps taken by his family to locate him, the authorities keep on denying his detention and his family has not heard from him since early 2012.

As most victims of enforced disappearances report having been subjected to severe torture during their secret detention, Alkarama is extremely concerned for Abed's life, physical and mental integrity. Today, Alkarama solicited the urgent intervention of the UN Working Group on Enforced Disappearances with the Syrian authorities to ensure that investigations about the victim's fate be carried about promptly and that he be immediately released, or at the very least, placed under the protection of the law.