Yesterday, Joud Arab, Joseph Dweib, and Imad al-Abdallah joined the growing list of detainees from al-Suqaylabiyah, in an escalation that demands unequivocal condemnation and urgent accountability. According to eyewitnesses, one of the three young men recorded the video documenting the assault, while the other two were detained on the basis of a malicious and unfounded complaint. Negotiations have reportedly begun over payments in exchange for their release. These accounts point to a dangerous pattern in which the very agencies entrusted with protecting citizens become instruments of punishment and pressure against them and their families, turning their freedom into a bargaining chip for financial extortion. We hold the Ministry of Interior and the local security leadership responsible for the detainees’ safety. We demand their immediate release, an end to any financial demands tied to their freedom, and access to their families and lawyers. We also call for any official implicated in these practices to be removed from involvement in their detention pending an independent investigation, and for anyone found responsible for fabricating accusations, extortion, or ordering unlawful detention to be brought to justice. We call on international human rights organizations to monitor and document this case and to seek protection for the detainees, witnesses, and their families against any retaliation. We will not accept the detention of someone who documented an assault, or families being forced to choose between paying for their sons’ freedom and their continued detention. Their release and accountability for those responsible are essential. This case will not be closed through a financial settlement or yet another assurance from the security authorities.