Afrinpost-Syrians for Truth and Justice
“Syrians for Truth and Justice” has documented that Turkish forces and factions of the “National Army” of the Syrian Interim Government / Syrian opposition coalition have arrested at least 506 people, including 30 women and 8 children (under the age of eighteen) in the Syrian Kurdish-majority / Afrin region During the second half of 2019, on various charges and reasons, 195 of them were released after these and / or their relatives paid monetary amounts / bail / ransom. These amounts ranged between 150 to 300 thousand Syrian pounds per person, while Some have been transferred to central prisons and district command centers, and 311 people are still unknown.
According to information gathered by field researchers for Syrians for Truth and Justice spread in seven areas in Afrin, and through the testimonies of a number of those released, the releases of detainees were carried out in two ways:
The first way: The detainee is presented to the “army justice system” of the national army, and the fine / bail determined by the “judge” is paid and usually ranges between 150 to 300 thousand Syrian pounds, and most of those who paid this fine are people who have been arrested because of their enrollment in the duty of self-defense / compulsory recruitment, or one of the administrative positions during the period of self-administration control of the region.
The second way: the detainee is released after negotiating with him within the security detachment / detention center of the faction that arrested him, where the responsible commander requests a sum of money in US dollars, and then begins negotiations to reduce the amount and the method of payment (the amount is paid in installments or a payment One), and the detainee is released during the same day or a few days, and the faction members visit the detainee’s house to collect the amount agreed upon during the agreed period, and the value of the amount required from one person ranges between 2500 to 10,000 dollars.
Syrians for Truth and Justice has recorded the arrest of 66 people, including 6 women, during December 2019, 19 of whom were released, while the fate of the rest remains unknown at the time of writing this report on January 6, 2020.
