​​​​​​​Child Protection Office calls for referral of Turkish officials to ICC

On December 2^nd, 2019, the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries committed a massacre against the people of Afrin forcibly displaced to al-Shahba, which resulted in the death of 10 civilians, including 8 children, in addition to wounding 12 others.

Recently, Turkish occupation had committed new crime on 3^rd August, 2021, against al-Sefawiyah villagers, which is located 3 km east of Shirkrak silos, south of the international road in rural Ain Issa, by shelling their house with a tank shell, resulting in the killing of 4 members of the family. They are Father Zidan Khalaf, 54, and his children Ziyad, 12, Mona and Huda.

In this context, the co-chair of the Child Protection Office in Armed Conflicts in Hasakah Canton Council, Khaled Jabr, stated that the targeting of children by the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries in the occupied regions of Afrin and Serêkaniyê (Ras Al-Ain), and Tel Rifaat district and Ain Issa town recently, and its perpetration of massacres, is a continuation of the series of crimes committed by Turkey in the occupied territories, which is proven by irrefutable evidence.

According to international laws, there are several agreements at the international level signed by all parties, including the application of the rules of war in armed conflicts, not targeting humanitarian facilities, and ending with not targeting the elderly and children.

He indicated that the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries' continuation of crimes against the peoples of the region, especially children, is a violation of all international covenants, especially the agreement signed in 1989, regarding for the protection of children and minors in armed conflicts.

He explained, "But Turkey is violating all these agreements and has become a rogue state against the international community and international laws, and it is recruiting minors into its ranks in order to use them in war all over the world, for the benefit of its agendas."

Jabr added that targeting children is a war crime, and "the perpetrators must be brought to the International Criminal Court, so that the international community, international human rights organizations, states sponsoring human rights and international law can fulfill their responsibilities."

As for the non-application of international law, he added, "it means extending a helping hand to the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries to commit more crimes against humanity, especially children and minors who are safe in their homes."

At the end of his speech, Jabr called on international human rights organizations and the international community to stand up to the Turkish war machine and deter it from targeting children and minors in the occupied areas, stressing that "they must condemn the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries because of the criminal acts it commits every day in the occupied areas and the areas it targets."

T/S

ANHA

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