afrinpost – Follow-up
In a joint statement, 85 Syrian organizations have welcomed the US Department of the Treasury’s decision issued on August 17, 2023, to impose sanctions on the Turkish-backed “Suleyman Shah/Al-Amshat” and “al-Hamza/Al-Hamzat” militias. The decision was based on their involvement in severe human rights violations against the Kurdish population in the Afrin region of northern Syria. These violations include kidnapping, arrests, extortion, rape, torture, land seizure, and property confiscation.
The statement also acknowledged the inclusion of militia leaders “Mohammed al-Jassim/Abu Amsha” and his brother “Waleed al-Jassim” from “Al-Amshat,” as well as “Saif Bulad Abu Bakr” from “Al-Hamzat,” on the sanctions list. It further mentioned the inclusion of a car agency owned by “Mohammed al-Jassim” in Turkey, in partnership with “Ahmed Ihsan Fayad al-Hayis/Abu Hatem Shakra,” leader of the “Gathering of Ahrar Al-Sharqiya” militia, who was previously sanctioned by the US Treasury for crimes committed.
The statement highlighted that over the years, the Syrian National Army militias, affiliated with the National Coalition, have systematically and extensively violated human rights in areas under their control. These violations targeted local inhabitants in Afrin, Ras al-Ain/Sari Kani, and Tel Abyad, directly controlled by Turkey. The statement referenced documented crimes reported by various local and international organizations, as well as periodic reports by the International Investigative Committee.
The signatories of the statement called for the following:
- The UN Security Council to take necessary measures to protect civilians in Afrin, Tel Abyad, Ras al-Ain/Sari Kani, northern Syria, and all of Syria. They demanded the cessation of demographic change operations, property seizures, and ensuring the safe and dignified voluntary return of all residents to their original areas of residence.
- War Crimes Units in countries allowing prosecutions under the principle of universal jurisdiction and the IIIM international neutral and independent mechanism to document and collect evidence regarding human rights violations in northern Syria, especially those targeting vulnerable groups and violations based on ethnicity, nationality, or religion.
- The International Independent Investigation Committee on Syria to issue a specific report on human rights violations in northern Syria, including Afrin, Azaz, Jarabulus, Al-Bab, Tel Abyad, and Ras al-Ain/Sari Kani.
The statement also called on the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia to take similar steps to support international legal proceedings against perpetrators of violations in Syria who are residing within their territories. This action would bolster documentation, accountability efforts, and justice for victims in European and international courts, while deterring violators and ending impunity.
