HRO: Civilians' lives in occupied areas are at risk

international community and human rights and humanitarian organizations to put an end to the crimes of Turkey and the mercenary groups that follow them, and hold them accountable in the international courts, while stressing that the lives of civilians in the areas occupied by Turkey are at risk.

24 June, 2020 03:22

AL-SHAHBA- FERAS IBRAHIM

In a statement to Hawar news agency ANHA the human rights defender, Ibrahim Sheikho, the official spokesman for the Human Rights Organization in Afrin - Syria, declared that the Turkish occupation and its mercenary groups are practicing all kinds of crimes against civilians in the occupied Syrian regions.

And the human rights defender Ibrahim Sheikho pointed out that the Turkish occupation has increased its crimes against civilians in recent times dramatically, such as killing, torturing, kidnapping and asking for ransom from civilians, in addition to kidnapping women and girls and practicing physical violence against them.

Turkey's crimes in Afrin is beyond imagination

Sheikho explained that the occupied Afrin was significantly exposed to Turkish occupation's brutal practices, which is beyond imagination against remaining indigenous residents on daily and deliberate, noting that these violations take place without any accountability or control before the international silence.

Sheikho added that on the 21st of June, the Turkish occupation army in al-Bab city intimidated a child, fired live bullets in the air near the Turkish base, and escaped fifteen police dogs, which resulted in the child being seriously injured.

Sheikho also mentioned in the conversation to a family from the village of Afraza, which belongs to Mobata district/ Maabatlı, without revealing his ID to security measures, that the mercenaries kidnapped the family's head more than once, with the aim of imposing a financial ransom of one million Syrian pounds on it, in addition to his older son more than five times, and subjected to various types of torture.

Turkey completes Turkification policy and demographic change

Sheikho pointed out that the Turkish state aims from behind its occupation of the Syrian north to consolidate Turkification policy and completion the demographic change for its separation from the Syrian lands, and Sheikho pointed to the evidence of this, when the mercenaries burned the Syrian currency in the city of Idlib and prevented dealing with it, and imposed the circulation of the Turkish currency in the markets in occupied territories.

And the human rights Sheikho continued by saying: "The whole international community should know that the Turkish occupation is building the wall of division and separation in the areas of Sherawa/ bulbul district, Shara/ Sharan, with the aim of annexing parts from the Syrian lands to Turkish lands and repeating what has happened in Sanjak of Alexandretta.

Sheikho stressed in his speech that the crimes of the Turkish occupation are not limited to a specific thing, but include all economic aspects, from theft to antiquities, and in recent times, explosions and booby traps have increased, and they constitute a threat to the lives of civilians, as the areas occupied by Turkey prevail in a state of chaos and security chaos.

The rights lawyer added that the crimes are committed by mercenary groups with a direct order from Turkish intelligence with the aim of forcing the indigenous people to leave their homes and displace them from their homes.

He noted that some regions and villages that the Turkish occupation practices crimes against its residents, no one knows about it because it is carried out in complete secrecy, and Turkish intelligence is spreading.

The spread of ISIS mercenaries in the areas occupied by Turkey

Regarding the spread of ISIS mercenaries in the occupied territories, Sheikho said that days ago drone belonging to the International Coalition in the city of al-Bab bombarded a motorcycle that was carrying mercenaries, who were previously leaders in the terrorist organization ISIS, and they carry a Turkish identity card (Kimlik), which indicates that the Turkish occupation has direct relationship with ISIS' elements.

Sheikho also pointed out that the Turkish state is promoting that it is hunting and liquidating the remnants of ISIS mercenaries in the occupied territories, and they are in fact mercenaries of the armed factions who do not implement the agendas of the Turkish state in the region and their going to Libya and fighting there.

Sheikho added that the Turkish occupation is training the ISIS mercenaries and mercenary groups in the Turkish city of Gaziantep, and sending them to fight in Libya, in Syria, and more recently in Yemen.

At the end of his speech, the spokesperson for the Human Rights Organization called on international and human rights organizations and women's and children's rights organizations to hold the Turkish state and the mercenary groups that are affiliated with it before international courts for its crimes against humanity in the Middle East.

T/S

ANHA