afrinpost-exclusive
Our correspondents from Afrin have reported a wave of arrests targeting young men returning to the region by Turkish-backed militias.
In the village of Kurzeleh in Sherawa sub-district, nine young men were arrested upon their arrival. The number is expected to rise as 25 families have returned over the past three days. Many returning families were subjected to physical assault and humiliation during their journey, including a man named Hanif Hamkro and his wife.
In Masaka village, located in Rajo sub-district, several men and young men were also detained. However, their identities remain unknown.
At the Shatt checkpoint, west of Azaz, the “Military Police” detained four individuals last Wednesday, including: Rezgar Mohammed Sheikho, 35 years old, Jiwan Omar Rasho, 41 years old, Nouri Mohammed Mohammed, 49 years old, and Newroz, the 25-year-old daughter of Izzat, a resident of Al-Zeidiya neighborhood in Afrin.
On Thursday, the “Military Police” also arrested Khalil Saeed Bakr, 46 years old, from Bulbul town, just one day after his return to Afrin’s old city.
Turkish-backed militias have been given free rein in Afrin to interrogate and detain returnees on arbitrary charges or for minor pretexts. Many detainees face extortion, with fines or ransom payments imposed for their release.
This systematic targeting of civilians not only violates human rights but exacerbates the suffering of displaced individuals seeking to return to their homes in Afrin.
