Fa’eq al-Mir (also known as Fa’eq Ali As’ad) is a long-term political activist and a leading member of the Syrian Democratic People’s Party. Fa’eq has been detained by the authorities several times since 1979 for his political activities.

He went missing on 7 October 2013 after leaving his house in the government controlled al-Khoussour neighbourhood of Damascus. About an hour after Fa’eq left, 20 men in civilian clothes who were believed to be members of the security forces entered the house and told his family that Fa’eq had been arrested. They seized his laptop and demanded access to “all things related to his political activities”, according to his son, Ali. Since that day, Fa’eq’s whereabouts have been unknown.

Fa’eq’s family made two official requests to the Syrian authorities, in November 2013 and mid-2014. They have also made several efforts to locate him through informal channels, but the information they have received so far is conflicting and inconclusive. His family is particularly concerned about Fa’eq’s health, as he suffers from hydronephrosis (a kidney disease) and frequent kidney stones, for which he requires medical intervention and regular monitoring.

A close relative described how she had been affected by Fa’eq’s enforced disappearance: