Aleppo students protest abductions and attacks

Factions of the Syrian transitional government abducted two university students from the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods as they were returning to their homes in the two areas at noon on December 27, with reports indicating the release of Ahmad while Bankin remains detained.

Student Ahmad Farid explained that Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh are subjected from time to time to random attacks using tanks and heavy weapons against civilians, in addition to the ongoing siege on the two neighborhoods.

Farid said that checkpoints of the factions affiliated with the transitional government deprive students in the two neighborhoods of attending the city’s university, as they are subjected to numerous violations, including searches of personal belongings such as mobile phones, abductions based on identity and phone contents, and verbal abuse without justification.

Ongoing Harassment of Students by the Factions

In turn, student Shiro Mohammad said that the road to the university is extremely dangerous for students, as they face many risks and harassment at the hands of transitional government factions, including insults and abductions without clear reasons.

Mohammad called for an end to these practices that hinder students from completing their education, especially with exams approaching, and demanded a halt to the shelling targeting the two neighborhoods.

He pointed out that living conditions in the neighborhoods are difficult in terms of securing basic necessities, alongside the transitional government’s closure of most roads leading to the areas. He said, “One of my relatives went to bring a gas cylinder for household cooking, but the factions prevented him from obtaining it for his family.”

He urged all concerned parties to provide security and safety for all Syrians, especially students, adding, “When we go to the university, we feel anxious and uncomfortable due to the repeated violations committed against us as students.”

Meanwhile, secondary school student Salwa Maamo from Martyr Joudi Amanos School highlighted that the siege imposed by the transitional government on Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh has caused numerous problems, most notably the lack of heating in schools, which makes it difficult to understand lessons due to poor concentration in the harsh cold.

Salwa Maamo condemned the random shelling that targeted the two neighborhoods, explaining that the transitional government’s shelling forced them to stop attending school for at least a week due to fear of going to schools, as the bombardment hit many vital facilities, including mosques.

She called for an end to all practices that violate their right to education, foremost among them the siege, as well as the abduction of students at checkpoints of transitional government factions deployed at the entrances to the two neighborhoods.

ANHA