afrinpost – Exclusive
The unwarranted detention of Kurdish citizens hailing from the Afrin region, whether within the occupied territories of Afrin or on Turkish soil, remains a persistent issue. This practice has been documented in the weekly report released by the Kurdish Unity Party “Yekiti” dated November 5, 2023, which highlights five recent cases of arrests, including that of a young Kurdish woman, and three arrests that occurred on Turkish territory.
Sultana Samir Abdou, a 25-year-old Kurdish woman from the village of Bafloun in the Shara/Sharan sub-district, has endured multiple arrests at the hands of Turkish authorities for over a month. These incidents took place after her return from forced displacement in Aleppo to her native region. The pretext for her detention revolves around alleged associations of her deceased father with the previous Autonomous Administration. Sultana has since been transferred to the city of Afrin and remains held under arbitrary arrest.
On November 1, 2023, a 47-year-old Kurdish resident named Mohamed Darwish Rasho, hailing from the village of Hasanderah in the Bulbul sub-district, was arrested under fabricated charges by the Military Police militia. This arrest followed a raid on his residence in the village, accompanied by a violent assault in front of his family. Mohamed Darwish was subsequently taken to the Qatma village center and, thereafter, to the city of Afrin, where he continues to be subjected to arbitrary detention.
Furthermore, on October 10, 2023, Turkish security authorities apprehended Mohamed Abdou Haj Rashid, a 52-year-old resident of the village of Almadara in the Rajo sub-district. Mohamed Abdou had entered Turkish territory with the intent of seeking opportunities in Europe but was forcibly repatriated to Afrin after enduring more than 20 days of arbitrary detention.
On October 31, 2023, security authorities in Istanbul detained Khalil Hassan, a 38-year-old resident of Kafr Safra in the Jindires sub-district, on charges of alleged association with Kurdish political parties.
It is crucial to note that a similar incident occurred roughly one month ago when Turkish security authorities arrested another Kurdish citizen, Noor Mohamed Musto, a 25-year-old resident of Kafr Safra, on identical charges. Both Khalil and Noor currently remain under arbitrary detention.
