Violence and crime in the northern Syrian-controlled Afrin region are increasing day by day, a human rights report says.
According to the report issued by the Violations Documentation Center in Northern Syria, covering the period from February 2018 to September 2019, “Turkish forces and Syrian militias supported by them continue to commit more violations and don’t listen to calls to stop daily raids and arrest and kidnap citizens for ransom. Their relatives were prevented from knowing their whereabouts or reasons of refused to be brought to trial and denied access to a lawyer.
As of the end of September 2019, the center documented the deaths and injuries of 2,969 people and the arrest of 5,576 people since the Turkish incursion into northern Syria. The report said that the number of kidnapped and demanding ransom for their release amounted to 407 people.
The Center warned against the escalation of violations in September 2019 and held the factions and armed groups supported by Turkey to be responsible for such violations, which amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
With regard to the confiscation of property, the report documented the confiscation of (1452) houses and the conversion of some of them to prisons or military centers or mosques and documented the demolition of (120) houses destroyed (1401) graves.
Several international organizations have issued reports documenting widespread abuses in Afrin by Ankara-backed armed factions.
Turkey launched a military operation in January 2018 with the support of armed groups, against the YPG in Afrin and since late March the same year has taken full control of the region after the displacement of two-thirds of its population where Turkey refuses to return.
