Security

Syrian Kurdish opposition group strongly condemns Turkish-backed group for Afrin abuses

"The Kurdish National Council strongly condemns these crimes and intimidating acts against the people of Afrin by armed groups."

Wladimir van Wilgenburg 2021/11/30 08:19

Members of a Turkish-backed militia patrol the Kurdish-majority Syrian city of Afrin. (Photo: AFP)

Syria Afrin Syria KNC PYD AANES

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The General Secretariat of the Kurdish National Council (KNC) in Syria strongly condemned the Suleiman Shah Brigade, led by Muhammad al-Jassem (also nicknamed Abu Amsha), on Sunday for the group's ongoing human rights violations in Afrin.

"The militia affiliated with the so-called Abu Amsha on 24/11/2021, raided a mourning tent in Shiye town of Afrin city, which is located in front of the house of the citizen Mustafa Khalil Sheikho, and they beat the tent owner, the mourners and his son, and then confiscated the cellular devices of the mourners," the KNC said, according to a report by ARK news agency.

The Turkish-backed group arrested Khalil Mustafa Sheikho, Abdul Rahman Mustafa Sheikho, and Ammar Suleiman Sheikho. It's unclear if those individuals are still being detained.

"All of this took place in response to the 'Response of Grievances' committee returning 300 containers of olive oil that the armed group had looted from the people of Shiye town," the KNC said.

Furthermore, the KNC also said that on Nov. 12, the Muhammad Al-Fateh faction arrested Sarbast Akash Brim, a local from the village of Ma'mala of Rajo town.

Military police in Afrin also raided civilian homes and arrested Azad Jamil Nabu and Shiraz Abboud Khalosi on Nov. 24.

"The Kurdish National Council strongly condemns these crimes and intimidating acts against the people of Afrin by armed groups, especially the militia affiliated with Abu Amsha, which is known for its terrorist practices of looting and insulting Kurdish citizens and imposing royalties on them," the KNC said.

It called for the immediate release of all detainees.

The KNC said it appealed to human rights organizations, the international community, and especially Turkey "to stop these terrible violations that occur continuously by armed groups that are now humiliating the people and pushing them to migrate to complete the demographic change project that is in full swing."

In March 2018, Turkey and its Syrian militia proxies took control of Afrin during its so-called "Olive Branch" operation. The ongoing occupation has continued amid widespread and regular accusations of war crimes, including ethnic cleansing, kidnapping for ransom, and gender-based violence.

The KNC also blamed the Syrian opposition, of which it is a part, for not stopping war crimes committed by Turkish-backed groups in Afrin in October.

Moreover, the Syrian opposition bloc has not facilitated the process of returning internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees, the KNC said.

The call by pro-KNC media for displaced Afrin civilians to return to the enclave led to criticism by media and supporters of the Democratic Union Party (PYD).

The KNC is the main rival to the PYD and opposes the PYD-led Autonomous Administration of Northeast Syria (AANES).