The Violations Documentation Center (VDC) reported that Hannan died under torture at the hands of the security services of pro-Turkish Syrian National Army.
Wladimir van Wilgenburg
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A 45-year-old lawyer and human rights activist, Luqman Hamid Hanan, reportedly died under torture after he was arrested two days ago in Turkish-occupied Afrin, human right organizations report.
The Violations Documentation Center (VDC) reported that Hannan died under torture at the hands of the security services of pro-Turkish Syrian National Army (SNA) in Qabasin, Afrin.
“Hannan’s death was announced today, after he was transferred to the military hospital in Afrin. He was arrested 2 days ago from his home,” the VDC said in a tweet.
“The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), based on its role as a human rights institution, condemns the heinous practices and violating human rights by Turkish intelligence and Turkish-backed National Army factions,” the UK-based SOHR war monitor said in a statement.
Also the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) in a statement condemned the death of the lawyer.
“We as members of the Syrian Democratic Council express our full condemnation of the recent murder, all murders and violations, and hold the Turkish occupation state and its mercenaries including the militias of the so-called “The Syrian National Army” fully responsible,” the SDC said.
The SDC demanded an impartial international investigation to investigate the crimes committed in Afrin and other occupied areas in northern Syria.
“Therefore, we call on international organizations, bodies and human rights committees to carry out their humanitarian and moral duty and intervene against daily violations, and we also call on the international community to end the Turkish occupation in the Afrin region and all occupied Syrian areas,” the SDC statement concluded.
Turkish-backed factions have controlled Afrin since March 2018 when the Turkish army launched its cross-border offensive known as Operation Olive Branch in Afrin to target the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG).
Since then there have been daily reports of human rights abuses, especially against the Kurdish population in Afrin, and systematic displacements and ethnic cleansing of the local population.
General Newroz Ahmed, Commander of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), during an event on Thursday organized by the New Lines Institute and Kurdish Peace Institute, said that there are daily kidnappings, torture, and rape in Turkish controlled areas.
“The main victims of these human rights abuses are women, religious minorities and ethnic groups in the area. We can see how they are undermining and violating human rights in these areas,” she said.
