Kongra Star: Women, human rights organizations must intervene stop violations against Afrin women

AREF SULEIMAN /AL-SHAHBA

The second stage of the "Revolt for Afrin Women" campaign ended with a statement calling on all human rights organizations to stand against the practices of the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries against women and children in Afrin canton.

Dozens of women gathered in Fafin district in al-Shahba canton holding Kongra Star flags.

During the gathering, they read a statement issued by the Kongra Star on the campaign "Revolt for the Afrin Women" in three languages; Arabic, Kurdish and English by the members of Kongra Star Hanifa Khalil in Kurdish, Amina Othman in Arabic, Nada al-Hussein in English.

The statement said:

"As we know, Afrin which received since the beginning of the Syrian crisis all components and became a safe haven for everbody was attacked by the Turkish occupier and barbaric bombardment as thousands of our people in Afrin were forced to displace on 18/3/2018. The Turkish occupation army targeted the infrastructure and archaeological sites, religious shrines and places of worship even the graves did not survive the Turkish occupation forces and its fascist mercenaries’ bombardment in order to displace all the people of the area.

The Turkish occupation continues to carry out violations against the people, in addition to the ongoing thefts. They kidnap the people of the area and blackmail their families for a ransom as they did in the previous villages of al-Shahba.

Women were most affected by these violations as they were assaulted, raped, kidnapped and abused despite the inability to reach a large number of women inside because of pressure.

These cases were documented by the women organizations in North Syria and Afrin, and the situation of displacement includes many difficulties and suffering for women in terms of psychological, economic, and social.

"We call on all women's organizations and human rights organizations to defend the rights of women and to pressure on their government and concerned parties to cease the violations against women and children in Afrin."

We appeal to the International Criminal Court to establish committees for finding fact and documenting the crimes of the Turkish state against the people and women in Afrin.

The statement ended with chanting the slogans that saluted women's resistance.

A.H

ANHA