Abdulhadi Sheikh Awad is a Syrian human rights defender and director of the Syrian Democratic Institute, known for his work promoting democratic values, civil society engagement and human rights education. He was arrested on 08 December 2013 at the immigration office near the Syrian–Lebanese border by governmental security forces while travelling to Beirut, and has since been held in arbitrary detention. Sheikh Awad had been active in initiatives supporting political reform, documenting violations and advocating for peaceful change in Syria, which placed him at high risk of reprisals from the authorities. Since his arrest he has been denied access to legal representation and visits from his family, and there have been unconfirmed reports that he was subjected to torture and other ill-treatment while in detention, with his whereabouts remaining unknown. On the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances in August 2014, Sheikh Awad was among the defenders whose fate was highlighted by the GCHR as emblematic of the systematic repression carried out by the Syrian authorities, with calls for the immediate disclosure of his location, guarantees for his physical and psychological safety and his unconditional release. His case remains unresolved.