Inside occupied Afrin: 78 violations within only a month

The besieged region of Afrin, which used to constitute the center of Kurdish literature and culture, continues to be the arena of conflicts and gross human rights violations, following the Turkish incursion in 2018.

While ethnic Kurds used to constitute the majority of the region’s population, the situation has continuously exacerbated since 2018: Afrin literally has evolved into a ghost town, a direct result of the inherent citizen’s persecution and displacement.

One of Afrin’s residents, given the pseudonym “Ahmed Al-Ali”, due to security concerns, reported on the dreadful changes and developments, especially regarding the demographic composition. Prior to Afrin’s invasion and subsequent occupation, ethnic Kurds used to constitute 97 percent of the whole population. The number has now shockingly decreased, with Kurds making up only 20 percent due to Turkey settling thousands of foreigners into the city.

Ahmed Al-Ali further testified on the current challenges, the citizens of Afrin are subjected to: “The militias, affiliated with the Syrian National Army, coerces us into paying royalties and sharing our own yields from oil and olive cultivation”. He further mentions the repression against women and the forceful imposition on religious symbols also on Yazidi women. The right to freely choose and practice one’s religion is forcefully suppressed.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights already documented 78 serious human rights violations, including killings and abductions, perpetrated against Afrin’s citizens within only a month. The report from the human rights organization further emphasized the arbitrary arrest of 47 citizens by Ankara-affiliated militias, belonging to the Syrian National Army, in addition to further the conduction of other crimes, including killings and abductions. Furthermore, violent skirmishes and hostilities between the different militias also jeopardizes the safety and lives of Afrin’s remaining residents.

Therefore, the situation in Afrin continues to remain alarming, with crimes being carried out on a daily basis and still, the international community condones everything and stays silent.