As a pilot project of the Working Group on the Release of
Detainees/Abductees, Handover of Bodies and Identification of Missing
Persons which was established within the framework of the Astana process
with the participation of Turkey, the Russian Federation and Iran as well
as the United Nations, several persons detained by the opposition groups
and the regime were mutually and simultaneously released on 24 November
2018 in the Abu al Zindeen district to the south of al-Bab, controlled by
the opposition.
Constituting an important first step within the context of building
confidence among the conflicting parties in Syria, this practice is aimed
to be continued with new initiatives.