Widespread protests in Afrin: 4 Kurds killed during Newroz celebrations

While Kurds, Persians, Balochs, Afghans, and some Turkic peoples celebrate Newroz around the world, the day turned into a nightmare for some Kurds in the Jindires town, near Afrin in northwestern Syria.

On the evening of March 20, some Kurds gathered in Jindires to celebrate the traditional Newroz New Year. As the crowd prepared to light the fire for the celebrations, a discussion erupted with members of the Islamist militia Ahrar al-Sharqiya, part of the Syrian National Army (SNA). Established under Turkish leadership, the SNA brings together various armed opposition factions that administer the Turkish occupation zones alongside the terrorist Hay’at Tahrir ash-Sham (HTS).

Ahrar al-Sharqiya members opened fire on the crowd, killing four men between the ages of 18 and 43, all from the same family. The men killed are Muhammad Nazmi Othman (18), Nazmi Othman (38), Muhammad Othman (42), and Farah Al-Din Othman (43). Two other people were also seriously injured.

Elham Ahmad, Co-Chair of the Executive Committee of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria said: “Terrorist factions have killed four civilians in Jindires, Afrin who tried to set up the Newroz fire. Turkey and Ankara-affiliated terrorist factions are behind the crimes against humanity in Afrin. We call on the United Nations and human rights organizations to investigate, stop and hold those responsible accountable for these crimes.”

On the evening of the incident, spontaneous demonstrations broke out in Jindires, which developed into mass protests on March 21. The protesters demanded retribution for the killers and an end to the arbitrary rule of the SNA factions and their withdrawal from the region.

March 18 was the fifth anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Afrin. The region has been under Turkish occupation ever since. Since then, more than 300,000 Kurds have been forcibly expelled from the region. Their share has fallen from over 90% to under 30%. Jindires was recently hit hard by the earthquake. Human rights organizations reported how SNA factions confiscated humanitarian aid and how Kurds were excluded from earthquake relief efforts.