Belgian Court to prosecute Turkey for crimes in NE Syria

The trial, scheduled for February 5th and 6th, will be held in the Aula Magna Hall of the Free University of Brussels' Etterbeek Campus. Legal professionals, journalists, and human rights activists specializing in international crimes have been invited to observe the proceedings.

This initiative was launched by the Foreign Relations Committee of the Autonomous Administration of NE Syria, in collaboration with attorneys monitoring Turkish state crimes, research centers, women’s rights defenders, and human rights organizations.

The trial is organized by the Association of Democracy and International Law (ULB, MAF-DAD), the European Association of Lawyers for Democracy and World Human Rights (ELDH), the International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL), the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK), and the Kurdish Institute in Brussels.

The organizers emphasize the diverse, democratic framework in NE Syria, where Kurdish, Arab, Yazidi, and Christian communities coexist based on equality, freedom, cultural pluralism, and social justice. However, since 2018, the region has endured systematic military aggression by the Turkish state and its ganga, the so-called "Syrian National Army." These attacks have undermined security and stability in the region.

The case file, brought before the court, cites numerous grave violations attributed to Turkey, including:

Systematic Killing of Civilians.

Targeting Journalists and Politicians.

Destruction of Civilian Infrastructure: Deliberate strikes on schools, hospitals, energy and water plants.

Use of Prohibited Weapons.

Torture and Inhumane Treatment.

Organized Oppression of Kurdish People.

Systematic Sexual Violence Against Women.

Cultural and Religious Destruction.

Forced Displacement of Civilians.

The joint invitation to this landmark trial has been signed by notable figures, including:

Medya Abdo (Center for Research and Protection of Women's Rights in Europe)

Hayka Gosuad (Association of Democracy and International Law, MAF-DAD)

Sirin Oysal (European Association of Lawyers for Democracy and World Human Rights, ELDH).

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ANHA